Can't Spell Pork Without Orc
by His Excellency TeenageAngst
Summary: Jack "Radical" Abrams goes crazy and needs the help of an old friend to find himself and his faith in the Light again, which naturally involves porking an orc. Jump to chapters 3 and 5 for waggle.
1. Chapter 1

Sheets of pouring rain came down around my stilted tent, the clash of the drops hitting the marshy soil making a veritable river towards the pools of water that surrounded the area. I sat on the ramshackle wooden floor and stared through the haze of rain while huddled under the tarp. The Swamp of Sorrows didn't see many humans, but then that was the point. I no longer considered myself a paladin, those years were long gone. Any veneration for the Light was forsaken that day I met the Naaru chained beneath Silvermoon City. As I continued my vigil, gazing over the wetlands, my mind began to wander.

After that fateful encounter I travelled south, unable to come to terms with what I'd seen, what I'd contributed to. Having given up the contract in Silvermoon I couldn't simply waltz back into the Cathedral and ask for another job from the Silver Hand. Part of me wonders how things might have turned out if I'd gone back to Stormwind anyway, if I would have kept my faith, but that was history. Instead I travelled onwards, out of human lands. I had no particular destination in mind but after days on the road I found myself in the dwarven town of Thelsamar; the home of an old friend.

I met him, where else, at the bar. The inn there was particularly busy, even by dwarf standards, as Thelsamar was a popular highway stop for those traveling to Ironforge. Mountaineers and travelers of all sorts filled the bar that evening but I picked my friend out of the crowd. A trained hunter is easy to spot; they have their wits about them constantly. Before I took two steps inside I heard his familiar booming voice, "Well I'll be, Jack Radical!"

The dwarf jumped off his stool and pushed his way through the crowd towards me, shoving his hand out. I shook it earnestly, "How have you been, Grelmen?"

"Aw I can't complain, lad. Come, come, have a seat, make yerself comfortable." He pushed me towards a slightly too short barstool. "Barkeep, a round for my friend here, and keep 'em comin'!"

The bartender slid a mug of thick dwarven ale my way. I caught it and took a long drink, I definitely needed a kick of alcohol. After taking a swig himself, Grelmen asked, "So what brings ye all the way to Thelsamar?"

I really didn't know how to answer that. All this time on the road and I never really thought how I would explain what I saw to anyone, if I even could. The worry was written on my face. Grelmen stared at me for a moment then said, "Jack, is everything alright?"

I shook my head but still couldn't respond. How could he ever understand? And I promised not to say a word.

"You got the stare, lad," he said, swirling his ale. "You've seen some things, eh?"

"I… what?" I asked, a little taken aback.

Grelmen took another gulp, "I've seen that look before in a man's eyes. Back in the Third War we called it battle fatigue, it was like the soldiers were wounded on the inside. Part of 'em just never made it out alive."

"Yeah, I guess this isn't far off," I admitted.

He let out a sigh, the boisterous atmosphere of the bar seemed far off, away from the two of us, "I know you, Jack. You got as much stone in ye as any dwarf. What have you gotten yerself into?"

Keeping my promise not to say a word of what I saw in the Farstrider's barracks, nothing I told Grelmen was specific. He could tell I was holding out on crucial details but also seemed to have enough sense not to pry any harder. By the time I was done with my story we were both about four pints in and three sheets to the wind.

"Jack," he said, biting into some well-done wolf flank, "you got yourself in a real fix. But lemme tell ya, I've seen yer judgment. If you thought those elves were lying, you wouldn'ta let them off the hook like that. You woulda fought 'em on it."

"I did fight them, Grelmen," I replied, holding my head to keep the room from spinning. I'd forgotten how strong dwarven beer was, "I just couldn't take that last step… and I still helped them."

"Aye lad," he said, clapping me on the shoulder, "you didn't know it though."

I coughed a bit, trying to clear my throat, "I just can't convince myself that what I'm doing is the right thing."

"Sometimes there ain't no right thing. Sometimes you just gotta go with yer gut, and if things go wrong, well, so it goes." Grelmen finished the last of his pint and slammed the mug on the counter.

I rolled my remaining ale around in my mug, his advice seemed familiar, "I suppose, but I can't get it out of my mind." I took a long drink, "Terrible things are going to happen, Grelmen, and I'm responsible."

He shook his head at me, "Take it from a dwarf, you don't want to be carryin' that stone around yer neck." He pulled me away from the bar and, staggering together, led me down to the bedrooms. They were warm and sturdy, carved into the rock of the mountain and lit by a roaring fire in the far wall. "Get some sleep, Jack. It's on the house."

"You sure?" I asked, but I was already lying on the bed.

"O'course, just take 'er easy tonight," he said, stumbling back towards the bar to finish his meal. As drunk and exhausted as I was it didn't take long for me to pass out. The next morning I thanked my friend and headed out again, determined to take his advice and put what I'd seen behind me.

Even though my faith had waned I still had my fighting skills, so I took a few contracts here and there. Nothing serious, guarding a wandering merchant or taking a few shifts at the Night Watch in Duskwood, anything to get back to work. At first it seemed like I was doing okay but I quickly found even these pedestrian jobs to be too much. It started when I began losing sleep to nightmares of that accursed scene. The Naaru begging, me turning my back, Lysandra reminding me of the role I played in its demise. This led to me losing my appetite and eventually losing my mind. More than once while on a job I was told by my fellows that I'd already eaten or taken a break or patrolled a road with no recollection of the event. The stress was gas-lighting me and each bout of amnesia just compounded the problem.

Every time questions came up I felt compelled to leave and every time I left I moved further away from anyone who might've been able to help. I've been a knight errant a long time and you don't see that much contract work without knowing the mercenary type. The old ones, the guys sitting at the edge of the bar who everyone knows but no one speaks to, they're trying to outrun their own shadows. They're tough and grizzled because they know nothing they're going to see can compare to what they've seen. I knew I was turning into that but I didn't know how to stop it.

So I just kept moving, first around human lands, then back to dwarven lands, and finally back to human again. For over a year I did this, losing touch a little more every time. When it got to the point I couldn't hold work any longer I went from a mercenary to a drifter, living on whatever money I was able to put together. Finally, even just staying in settled areas was strange and uncomfortable for me. My hands trembled, my mind raced, all I could think about was getting away from people. I'd become entirely irrational.

Driven away, I wandered the southern end of the Eastern Kingdoms in solitude, chattering to keep myself company when awake and resting only when I needed to. Eventually this wandering led me to the Swamp of Sorrows, a happy coincidence you might say. It was cool, damp, calm, and altogether rather homey. Even though it was a savage land I could appreciate the nature. It reminded me of my childhood in Darnassus, the good parts of it. The hunting was plentiful and the visitors few. At last it seemed I'd found a place I could stay.

And stay I did. Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, and before I realized it an entire year went by. I learned the pattern of the swamps, the Horde patrols to the south, the green dragons to the west, even the Lost Ones of the Draenei found a place here. It was a place a man could lose everything, the swamp reclaimed whatever wasn't used.

My memories subsided as I looked over the haze before me, waiting. Carefully I drew my hammer, sensing my prey was close. My armor had long since rusted away, only my shield and helmet remained and those I wore only rarely. I listened through the rain and heard the squishing of soil. Whatever was out there was nearby. I kneeled down, shrouded by the tarp, until finally it came into view. A young crocolisk; dangerous but relatively easy prey. One good blow to the back of the head would put it down. I waited until I waddled in front of my tent, sniffing curiously before moving on. Then I leapt.

Smashing the creature in one great strike I brought my hammer down full force to the base of the skull. The creature instinctively jerked this way and that, hissing loudly before the second blow came, silencing it. Slinging my hammer over my back, I grabbed the carcass by the tail and began hauling it back to my main camp. This would feed me for a week.

As I towed the creature along my ears pricked up. Turning around I saw nothing but swamp and rain. Well, there were a few elementals but they seemed pretty disinterested, maybe it was nothing. I continued on but didn't get a hundred yards before catching something else. Whirling around again I saw nothing. I stood there waiting for something to happen, motionless except for my darting eyes. Then came the tell-tale sound of a bowstring being drawn taut. I had just enough time to think, oh hell no.

The arrow struck me in the shoulder. I dropped the crocolisk and ran as a second hit its corpse. A third arrow struck me in the leg as I ran, bringing me to the ground. Blood was pouring from my wounds but this time I couldn't heal myself. I heard the heavy thud of boots in the muck. They came closer as I lay there, bleeding out and half drowning in the rain and mud. Kicking me onto my back, I got a full view of my captors; orcs.

"What should we do with this one?" the male said to his companion in the common orcish tongue. She shook her head in response, clearly unimpressed with their prey. The male grinned, "Kill him?"

"And waste a perfectly good prisoner? No, tie him up," she responded.

"Dabu." With that he produced a coil of rope and wound it around my hands and feet. I was helpless anyway, which they knew, but binding me was a way of adding insult to injury, literally in this case. Once my limbs were tightly drawn, I was carried to town, arrows sticking out of me like a pincushion. The two orcs had no trouble hauling me around, I'd lost a lot of weight since my self-appointed exile, a pale spectre of a warrior let alone a paladin. Feeling woozy from the blood loss at some point along the way I passed out.

When I awoke I was bandaged, filthy, and sitting in a cage in the middle of Stonard. A green dragonkin to my left and a pair of lost draenei to my right were my only companions as the orcs meandered about their business, paying us little mind. Occasionally one would rattle my cage, muttering something contemptuously that I couldn't quite catch. It didn't help I was still out of it from losing so much blood. I looked down, they'd stripped me bare. That wasn't what really bothered me though; I could see my own ribs. How did I let myself go so far? How did it come to this? I looked at the arrow wound in my leg, it went straight through my calf. It took all my strength just to move it and with the swamp water getting in the wound I'd probably lose the whole leg to an infection without healing magic.

Hours rolled on. The other prisoners were taken one by one towards the barracks and out of sight. Eventually only I remained, probably for public display, like a trophy of sorts. It was evening by the time food was brought out, if you can call it that. I used my good hand to eat the gruel, it tasted like sour milk but it was the only food I'd find here. After I'd cleaned my bowl I heard the voices of my two captors beside the town's inn, then a third voice, somehow familiar. Casually the two walked towards me with what looked like their superior, I couldn't really tell. I figured it was time for them to discuss how much to ask for my ransom. It'd be a rude awaking for all involved when they found out I wasn't part of the Alliance. Heh, maybe they'd sell me to the goblins instead as an "indentured servant."

A heavily armored orc came towards my cage, covered head to toe in plate. It was a female, I could tell, and a strong one even by orc standards. A thorium axe swung by her side and a massive tower shield rested on her back. This was definitely their captain. As she approached me I sat there, not making eye contact, like I was some sort of bored animal. Compliance is usually the best way to avoid unnecessary complications in these kinds of situations, it keeps security minimal and lips loose. The orc stared at me for what seemed like forever, not saying anything.

"Is everything alright, Commander?" the male scout asked.

The captain threw off her helmet, "Blood and Thunder!"

That voice, I looked up and nearly fainted from surprise, "Nikki?"

"Jack mother fucking Radical, what in Doomhammer's name!?" She held her head like it was about to fly off her body, "How did you get here!?"

The female scout stepped closer, "Commander Blacktusk, you know this human?"

"Know him? When I was a grunt this filthy human bastard nearly got me killed."

I felt a smile flash across my face, "If I remember right, you took a nap and nearly got half the party killed."

"Only because of your terrible healing, whelp."

The two scouts looked at each other nervously, both thoroughly confused and neither one daring to ask what was going on. Nikki turned to them, "Go fetch a shaman, these wounds won't heal themselves."

"Commander Blacktusk-"

"That's an order, soldier!" she said.

"Yes, ma'am!" they said in unison. Both scouts ran across the small town, leaving the two of us alone.

"Commander Blacktusk now is it?" I said, nursing my wounded shoulder.

Nikki picked her helmet up and held it under her arm, "Technically it's Legionnaire Blacktusk, but commander just rolls off the tongue."

"Never figured you for officer material, you always seemed like a front line fighter."

She glanced at her rank emblazoned on her metal sleeve, "Yeah, well, ten years of patrols and training grunts is enough for anyone."

"I hear that."

She shook her head, "I can't let you out of this cage, you know. Not yet anyway."

"Yeah, I understand," I said, leaning back against the bars.

"What are you doing out here? Last I heard you were off to join the Order of the Silver Hand."

"I did," I replied, "It's a long story but I'm not a paladin anymore."

Nikki shook her head, "Got yourself kicked out, huh? Those late nights at the taverns caught up with you?"

"Nah, nothing like that," I said.

Nikki smirked but took a closer look at me. I was skin and bones and completely disheveled. "You look like hell, Jack. What's going on?"

"I got shot," I said, "twice."

"I mean before that," she replied, "What's a guy like you doing hunting crocolisks in the swamp? You look one pants size away from a Forsaken."

"How's your sex life, Nikki?"

She shoved the cage, "God damn it, Jack. I can throw you back in the muck where I found you."

"Ow!" I said, my head bouncing off the metal bars, "I can't talk about it, alright?"

"There are no secrets in my jail, human," she said in a stern voice, "If you don't start talking I'm going to make you talk." Nikki didn't appear to be joking, all friendly exteriors disappeared when she became worried about the safety of her men. She made a good officer.

I let out a sigh, "I had a bad contract."

"My grandmother could handle a bad contract. I know your deals have gone sour before."

"This was different, it was real bad." I lowered my gaze, unsure what to say. This was exactly the wrong person I should be talking to about this kind of thing. "I saw… I did some things. I don't want to go into details, but they're things I gotta live with. Things the Light can't forgive."

She folded her arms, "Such as?"

I looked her in the eye, "I really don't want to go down that road again. I promise it had nothing to do with the safety of the orcs. It's no concern to anyone in this town."

She stared at me long and hard, "You don't make my life easy, Jack."

The two scouts returned with the shaman in tow. He was an aged and bent orc who looked like he'd been here as long as the town. Both the scouts saluted as he approached me.

Nikki put her helmet on, "Heal him up, then you two, stand guard for the rest of the evening. I'll send someone to relieve you at nightfall."

"Yes, ma'am!" they said, snapping to attention.

The shaman's healing was fast and skilled but the raw muscle and skin would take time to feel better. My wounds mended, he left me in the company of my guards, both of which seemed less abrasive and more curious about their charge now. This gave me time to think about what I was going to say to Nikki. But what could I say? That the Horde's new allies are conjuring their power from a captured Naaru? That I helped them? Oh, hey Nikki, yeah I had to make a choice between genocide and allowing a creature of the Light to slowly be tortured to death. I went a little batty and ended up moving away from civilization as my sanity left like so many alimony checks to my ex-wife. Hope that makes sense.

I mulled it over for a while, the two guards staring at me off and on. Passersby would throw me a look of disgust or amusement and I could overhear their ridicule of the dirty human to one another. It was typical of the Horde but at least it wasn't disingenuous. Unlike Silvermoon City, I knew exactly where these orcs stood. After a couple hours of silence one of the scouts turned to me, his curiosity finally getting the better of him, "You speak orcish, human?"

"No," I lazily replied.

"No talking to the prisoner, Kralak," his companion said. She was the smarter one for sure.

The male orc grunted, "Stupid human, you want us to open this cage and finish the job?"

I sat there, not even looking at him, "I want you to try."

"Gah! I will feed you your own tongue!" he said, pounding the cage with his fist. The shock sent me tumbling to my side.

"Kralak!" His companion shoved him, "The commander will have both our heads if he is harmed!"

He shoved her back, "Don't reprimand me, Dralah!" He turned back to me, "You're lucky the commander values your life, scum. I'd flay you and use your skin for a rug."

"I'm right here," I said.

The orc's temper began to boil over. I could see the veins in his head push to the surface as he gripped the bars. Dralah tried to pull him away and he lashed out, swiping at her with a growl. This in turn caused her to smack him upside the head, "Get a grip, Kralak!"

"Don't touch me, whelp!" he replied, swinging at her.

His fist missed by a mile, which just let Dralah shove him down, "You are acting like a child, letting this human wind you up!"

He sat on the grass, taking a moment to think before getting up, "Yes…" He turned to me, "A clever trick, human. We shall be watching you closely."

"I was watching your mother closely last night," I said.

"What did you say?"

"IF you know what I mean, Kralak."

"WHAT!?" The orc ran at the cage and shook it vigorously, sending me bouncing around like a toy, "I shall tear your jaw from your head!"

"KRALAK!" his companion belted him across the face.

"ENOUGH!" Nikki came marching up behind them, pulling them apart like squabbling siblings. "You call yourselves soldiers of the Horde?!"

"Ma'am!" they both said, saluting.

"Get to the barracks and tell the night shift to get out here. Then report to the front gate, both of you just earned double-duty."

"Yes ma'am!" they said, running off to the far side of town.

Nikki walked before the cage, "Jack, take it easy on them."

"Sorry, I didn't realize the Horde was-"

"You don't want to finish that sentence," she snapped.

I stopped short, choking on my words.

Nikki took her helmet off, "I'm giving you one last chance. Either you tell me what you're doing out here playing swampman or I ship your ass back to Orgrimmar for ransom negotiations."

Staring at Nikki I weighed my options. On the one hand, I'd likely get myself killed in Orgrimmar or sold into servitude to the goblins. On the other hand, if I told her what the Blood Elves were doing, she'd report it all the way up the chain. They'd be exiled by the Horde, or worse.

"Well?"

"Can I trust you not to tell another soul?"

"That depends," she said, "Does this involve anything that might endanger my troops?"

"No, I already told you, it has nothing to do with the orcs," I said.

"Then what is it?"

I looked away for a moment while I considered what I was about to say. "I was doing a contract for the Blood Elves. Consulting work in Silvermoon a couple years back."

"THAT is your bad contract?" she exclaimed, "What, did they get your tea wrong?"

"Would you let me finish?"

She crossed her arms, "Oh this is going to be good."

"I was teaching them how to control the Light again, very technical stuff, they didn't remember much since their loss during the Third War."

"Uh-huh."

"I thought they were on the right path, they seemed to be getting the hang of it but they kept channeling it wrong." I took a deep breath, "Their faith has waned too far, they've begun channeling the Light through another being."

"Through another… what, exactly?"

"They called it a Naaru, it's this enormous creature of pure Light. Their mages bound it to their barracks, siphoning it like a mana crystal."

Nikki dropped her helmet, "Are you serious!? You're not serious."

I shook my head, "It was captured when the Dark Portal opened."

Nikki raised a hand to her forehead, "I saw the Naaru when I was on the front lines in Outland! Those things are so powerful… how did they capture one!?"

"I don't know," I replied. "I couldn't say anything about it. If I did, the Silver Hand would go ballistic. They'd order a crusade against the entire Blood Elf nation."

Nikki paced back and forth in front of the cage, "Jack, how could you just sit on this!? I have to report this to my superiors! The Blood Elves will be-"

"They'll be publicly denounced and removed from the Horde," I said. "Weakened and alone they'll be attacked in retribution. And then they'll all die."

"If they're keeping a being that good and pure in chains they deserve whatever comes of this," she said.

"It's not all of them, Nikki!" I said, grabbing the bars. "Most of them don't even know, only the Blood Knights."

She glared at me incredulously.

"That's why I couldn't say anything. I can't have all those innocent lives on my hands because of a few arrogant paladins."

Nikki looked me in the eye, her expression hard, "You always were the one with the conscience."

I let out a pained, dry laugh, "Conscience? Nikki, I'm letting a Naaru be tortured to death. It begged me," I reached through the bars, grabbing her armor, "it pleaded for me to help, to do anything. And I turned my back on it for a bunch of arrogant elves."

She gently pulled my hands off her as I collapsed to my knees, emotionally exhausted. Tears streaked my face but I wasn't sobbing. I was just stunned, my throat was tight as I spoke, "Sometimes I feel it when I sleep, the tingle at the back of my mind. I see it in my dreams. I wake up sometimes and I don't remember where I am or what I'm doing, I just remember that goddamned room."

Running her gauntlet through her fluffy mohawk, Nikki watched me, seemingly at a loss for words. "Jack," she said at last, "You can't blame yourself for this. The Blood Knights are responsible for their own actions."

I took a deep breath, "I know that. In my mind I know I'm not responsible. But it's not that simple, I still feel it. I need to know I did the right thing."

"Sometimes there is no right thing. Sometimes you just have to go with your gut, and whatever happens, happens."

I sat there for a moment, "That sounds familiar."

"It should," she said, "it's what you told me in the Wailing Caverns all those years ago."

"Yeah, after we were all nearly killed fighting that thunder lizard, I remember." I fidgeted with my bandages, it also happened to be what Grelmen told me two years ago. Not that it did much good then.

She picked her helmet up and dusted some of the swamp grass off, "I can't just let you go, Jack, and frankly I think that's for the best. You need some time to get your head straight."

I leaned back in my cage, "Are you going to say anything?"

Nikki shook her head, "No, you were right about one thing. I don't see this being settled without piles of collateral damage. Let's just pray those elves have the god given sense to realize their mistake before it destroys them."

Absently nodding my head I realized the huge weight that was off my chest. It still hurt to think about it but at least now I wasn't alone in the knowledge. "Thanks, Nikki."

"Of course," she said, putting her helmet on. The two nightshift guards came plodding down the muddy path as we finished our conversation, "Just try to get some rest while I figure out what to do with you."

I nodded and then looked down at myself, "Can I at least get a blanket or a pair of pants?"

"I'm sure we can spare that," she said. As the two guards took their posts she left us.

These orcs were much quieter, I could only assume they were thoroughly warned about speaking to the prisoners after what happened to the last two. A peon appeared about half an hour later with a pair of linen pants and a wool blanket for me, making the night much more comfortable. For the first time in weeks I was able to sleep soundly through the night. 


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning I was moved towards the barracks like the other prisoners. My hands tied and my wounds still sore I marched across town in the company of my guards, hobbling here and there on my bad leg. When we reached the building I wasn't thrown inside a cage or holding cell like I expected. Instead I was made to wait outside the captain's quarters. I stood there for what must have been at least an hour as the muffled voices inside yelled and barked at one another. At long last, Nikki emerged.

"Jack, get in here," she said, waving me in.

The guards on either side of me stayed behind as I entered the stone structure. Inside was a cozy fire, a few hunting trophies, an armor stand, and all the weapons a soldier could want. In the center of the room was a large wooden table with a canvas map of the Swamp of Sorrows overtop. Little crudely carved dragons were placed on it along with colored beads, lengths of string, and various other tactical markers. Gathered around were a pair of shadowy figures; a Forsaken shrouded by a cloak and a troll mage.

"You…" the Forsaken uttered, his voice a familiar guttural tone.

Nikki motioned towards me, "Gregory, I'm sure you remember Jack."

"How could I forget?" he said, clenching his bony fingers together.

I looked at the troll, his face ringing a bell, "Is that… Jamal?"

He nodded in silent response.

I turned to the orc, a little astonished, "Nikki, are you getting the party back together?"

"Not everyone," she replied with disappointment. "Tohu seems to have fallen off the face of Azeroth, no one has any idea where he is."

"He always had that sharp druidic survival instinct, perhaps he could smell this disaster coming," Gregory said.

Nikki slammed her fist on the table, "Damn it, Gregory, I told you. You don't like the contract, don't sign up."

"Wait," I said, "Contract? What's going on here?"

Jamal stood up and pointed at the dragon figures on the map, "The green dragons, d'er activity has intensified."

Nikki motioned towards the Sunken Temple in the middle of the lake, "We suspect whatever is causing them distress is coming from that temple but no one's been able to spare the resources to find out. Now they're encroaching close enough to threaten Stonard and it's my responsibility to deal with them."

I scratched my bearded chin, "Why not send some grunts in to investigate?"

"These are green dragonkin protecting an ancient troll temple, it'd be suicide for anyone inexperienced. That's why I offered to lead this expedition personally."

I stepped towards the table, eyeing over the layout. It looked like the dragons were knocking on Stonard's back door. Aggression in green dragons is unusual so Nikki was probably right, something had to be antagonizing them. "Alright, but where do I fit into the picture?" I asked.

Stepping back, Nikki gazed at the table, "I need experienced people on this one. You, me, Gregory, Jamal, we've worked together before. I can vouch for your skills."

I shook my head, "You know damn well I'm not fit enough for a mission like this."

"What's the matter, Jack? Not so cocky without the Light protecting you?" Gregory said. I was a taken aback, how did he know I'd lost my faith? "Oh yes," he added, "I can feel it, you're powerless now. I must object, Nikki, this vagabond is dead weight."

"Party composition is my decision," she said, "And your skills, while appreciated, can be replaced."

Gregory grunted, "Orc bitch, you're going to get us killed."

Ignoring the bitter rogue, Nikki turned back to me. "Look, I'm getting pressure to ship you to Orgrimmar unless I can give my superiors a damn good reason not to. This is the best I could come up with." She picked up a box and slammed it on the table. Inside was all the equipment I'd left behind in the swamp. Grabbing my hammer, she swung it in the air, "And frankly, Jack, I think it's time you nut the hell up and get back to work."

She thrust the hammer in my hands, maybe she was right. I reached in the box and grabbed my shield and helm, the only two pieces of my armor that were still any good. Admittedly I wasn't much to look at, maybe a trip to the armorsmith could help with that. Then it dawned on me, we only had four members.

"Who else are you including on this shindig?" I asked.

Nikki sighed, "Because I'm bringing you this is considered a multilateral mission. I've been… encouraged… to include one of the Blood Elves."

"Heh, ha! HAHA! HAHAHAHA!" Gregory burst into mocking laughter, propping himself up on the edge of the table. "Oh this is rich! Where is it?"

"She's due to arrive tomorrow," she replied. "Apparently she's a talented-."

"Oh, I'm sure," he cut in, "but how is our stockpile of silken pillows?"

"Gregory."

"It would be a travesty if we were to run low before the mission was complete."

Nikki was thoroughly disgusted with the Forsaken at this point but wouldn't give Gregory the satisfaction of a reaction. Instead she returned to the table, "Getting to the temple should be straightforward. We have no idea what we're going to find inside though. So far as I'm concerned this is just a recon mission to get information back to Orgrimmar."

"So we go in, poke around for anything interesting, and come back out hopefully in once piece," I said.

"That's the plan," she replied.

Gregory threw his hands up, "If that's all you wanted I could do this mission alone. You pulled me all the way from the Plaguelands for this, I know you have a good reason for it."

"Like I said, we have no idea what's inside."

Gregory pulled back his hood. His bare grey skin was nicked and cut from a life of knifeplay. Expression cross, his piercing yellow stare was fixed on the orc. "Then what do you think is in there?" he said meticulously.

Nikki looked him in the eye but her gaze fell, "Dragons? Trolls? I have no idea. What I do know is it's powerful enough to manipulate the green dragonflight."

Gregory looked unsatisfied and leaned back in his chair, "What do you want us to do in the meantime?"

"Prepare for the mission," she said, "And Jack, I recommend you visit the armorsmith. We should have some smaller plate sets laying around that you can squeeze into."

Jamal got up, grabbing his crooked and gnarled staff from the wall, "We bettah not plan on stayin' long, I can feel de powah of the temple even 'ere, mon." He looked at Nikki with an almost dead-eyed stare, "dis won't be endin' well."

Gregory pointed at me with one of his daggers as Jamal turned to leave, "Don't worry, they'll have armor that fits you. I'm sure they have something lying around from the last Alliance patrol." He sheathed his weapon and walked out of the barrack. I was about to leave myself, but Nikki stopped me.

"Hey, make sure you don't leave Stonard until we're ready to head out," she said.

"I wasn't planning to," I replied.

"Good, the guards were ordered not to bother you while you're inside the town. Outside though, where I'm not there to watch them, accidents can happen."

I shouldered my gear, "That's comforting."

"This is an old fashioned Horde outpost, not the Crossroads," she said. "Go to the armorsmith then return immediately."

Taking a moment to look the place over, I asked, "I take it I'm staying with you here?"

"I could leave you in the cage if you prefer."

"No, I just didn't expect-" my gaze fell from her eyes, "Nevermind."

She gave me a wondering look for a second before something struck her, "Oh, you haven't had breakfast yet! I'll make sure you get something." Nikki slapped me on the stomach, "Gotta get some meat back on those bones!"

"Uh, right, that's it." That wasn't it. The issue wasn't worth pressing right that instant though. "Anyway, I'll be right back."

The armorsmith was right next door, and judging by the cross looks the local orcs gave me, I was glad it wasn't any further. I'd probably be mauled alive if I strayed more than a few hundred yards from Nikki's barrack. The workshop was well equipped, as good as any in the Human lands, even so far from Orgrimmar. Being at the mercy of supply chains for most of my work I could appreciate a well-equipped armory. There were a couple apprentices busy modifying captured armor or repairing the grunts' standard chain and shields. A bowl of crocolisk teeth was sitting by an anvil as I walked inside, one of the orcs slowly prying them from the metal boot in his hand with a pair of pliers.

The two apprentices glared at me but the armorsmith in the back waved me in, his hands missing about half a finger each. I stepped forward, minding where I stepped in the crowded clay and brick building. The heat from the furnace was choking hot but the orcs inside didn't seem to mind. Immediately the armorsmith grabbed me and threw me against the wall, causing me to drop my equipment. I tensed up as he spread my arms out, I was caught by surprise and couldn't fight this orcish brute. Then a flash of yellow tape measure flew across my chest and along my body. Within a few moments, without saying a word, he put his tape away and turned to a crate he had tucked away in a corner.

Inside was a variety of human armor. Most of it was standard Stormwind fare but some was actually from the Defias and Netherguard Keep. He pulled some bits and pieces out, muttering something under his breath. Finally he threw a chest plate at me. "Here," he said gruffly.

I caught it and looked it over. It was Netherguard styling but with the crest hastily scratched out. It seemed about the right size. The orc returned to me with matching arm and leg pieces, "Try it on, I haven't got all day, human."

Undoing the clasps I slid it over my head. It was a little loose but it did fit. Some chainmail underneath and padded clothing would help with any gaps. As the orc continued rummaging around I gradually assembled my new armor set, each piece slightly mismatched from the others. The end result was a complete if odd-looking and slightly too big set of plate. For once my shield and helmet don't look out of place at least, I thought. I wore the entire thing and turned to the smith, hammer in hand. The apprentices behind him chuckled at my junk armor but after a few adjustments it looked serviceable. The old orc smiled, "You know, human, when I got an order for this plate I thought the Commander had lost her mind, that she was asking me to aid the enemy."

"Oh really?" I asked incredulously, "And what do you think now?"

"I think I might have underestimated her wisdom." He slapped my armored sleeve, the entire suit jiggling slightly, "You can barely move and it's the worst hodge-podge of scrap I've ever seen worn, even by you pathetic humans. You're going to get yourself killed just walking in a straight line!"

The apprentices burst out laughing as I waddled around a bit. He wasn't entirely incorrect in his assessment, this armor was by no means the best. It was high quality metal and good craftsmanship plate that was more or less stapled together. Still, on such short notice it would have to do. I started questioning whether or not Nikki's "solution" was to actually have me killed on this mission. I couldn't tell how exactly she expected me to walk away from it even if it was successful. My guess was I'd be a casualty and it would give her an excuse to get more people inside the Sunken Temple, preferably an entire platoon from Orgrimmar. Ordinarily the idea of a looming dagger in the back would have me upset but frankly at this point, after so much running, I didn't care. It didn't seem to matter. Maybe that's why I didn't really care about Gregory.

Stripping the armor off, I returned it to the smith. He took the plate and set it by his anvil, "I should have some chainmail altered for you by tomorrow. It's a good thing you already have a helm or you'd be out of luck, we haven't decapitated a human in years."

I couldn't tell if the orc was trying to mess with my head or if he was serious, but judging by the fact he wasn't smiling, I assumed the latter. Walking out of the building I noticed it was almost noon, so I hustled back into Nikki's barrack. There I found her browsing through a variety of polearms with what the orcs pass as "breakfast" waiting on the table for me. It consisted of what looked like half an entire ham covered in gravy, several potatoes smothered in butter, and a pitcher of beer.

She motioned to the spread before me, "Eat, Jack."

Taking a seat, I began to dig in. I was properly starving for real food, and while orc cooking isn't to everyone's tastes, it fills a hungry man. "Aren't you going to have any?" I asked.

"What? I already ate, that's all yours."

I'd seen orcish portions before but even this was a little extreme. As I ate and ate... and ate, Nikki pulled a few choice weapons out and set them aside. I was never big on polearms but she always liked them for some reason. As I was just finishing the first helping of boar, the orc laid a couple weapons on the table. "You're going to be training with me today," she said.

"You mean with your grunts?" I asked, a potato hanging from my fork.

"No, I mean with me, personally. If I pair you with one of the soldiers you'll probably be killed." No arguments here, I thought. She undid her armor as I kept eating, which took about as much time considering how much plate she wore. Underneath, her padded shirt and pants were still more than adequate protection for sparring. I couldn't finish my food, at least not if I wanted to move afterwards. Nikki looked at my plate and scowled, "You're never going to bulk up if you keep eating like a bird."

Pushing my chair out I leaned back, this was the most I'd eaten in months, maybe even years. It felt good and brought me back to when the two of us used to work together. I missed those days but they seemed so long ago. I was just a kid at the time, a stupid adventure-hungry doofus swinging the Light like a chump acolyte. Nikki was always the serious soldier, now she was running an entire outpost and I was losing my marbles. Suddenly I was slapped out of my reminiscing by a set of padded clothing landing in my lap.

Nikki stood there, weapon in hand, "Meet me outside when you're ready."

My meal as finished as it was going to get, I quickly threw the clothes on and grabbed my hammer and shield. Outside the troops were already assembled and sparring, their axes glancing off their shields and armor with harmless but forceful blows. Orcs aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer but they take their combat training seriously. They spar like the professionals they are, with vigor and strength but never enough to injure one another. They make sure they're always combat-ready. The orcs watched me out of the corner of their eye, curious as much as they were condemning.

Nikki took her battle stance across from me, the afternoon sun behind her not quite able to pierce the thick cloud cover. Her polearm hung a few feet in front of me, the shaft of the weapon easily ten feet long. I held up my hammer and shield, my body naturally falling into a combat stance. I could tell I was out of practice though, it hurt to hold the position for too long. Most of my fighting for the past two years was done against jaguars and crocolisks, not trained soldiers. Nikki swung forward and I blocked instinctually, my form sloppy. Even with such an unwieldy weapon she managed to parry and get a shot in at my abdomen. I felt the orcish steel graze my shirt; an easy wound if we were actually fighting.

She shook her head as I readied myself again. With a grunt she lunged at me, bowling me over as I clutched my shield for dear life. Man, I thought, staring straight up at the clouds, I'm really out of practice. Nikki stood over top of me scowling. Pulling myself up I got ready once more. This time she threw me a softball, aiming for my shoulder with a downward strike. Parrying, I moved in to strike, then *WHAP*. The butt of the polearm struck me clean across the face. Dazed, I staggered for a moment as Nikki planted her foot in my gut, sending me flat on my back once again. All the orcs training outside chuckled as I had my ass handed to me.

Nikki wasn't so amused, "You're a goddamn disgrace letting yourself go like this, Jack."

A little winded from that last kick I took a moment to reply "I'm sorry," I croaked, "next time I'm going through a breakdown I'll be sure to stay in shape."

"Was that an excuse, whelp?" Nikki pointed at one of the grunts in formation, calling her over. The young orc looked about twenty or so. By human standards she'd be pretty green, no pun intended, but orcs start training their troops as teenagers. "Grunt Shargra," Nikki said.

"Yes, ma'am!" the grunt responded with a salute.

"Duel this human," her commander stepped back, "to the death."

"Yes, ma'am." She seemed less enthusiastic this time, but stepped forward nonetheless. I knew Nikki wasn't going to actually let this grunt kill me but I knew she'd let her get damn close. The grunt stood ready, her axe and shield firm in her hands. Getting myself together I took my place opposite her. With a nod from her commander, Shargra attacked, smashing my shield with her axe. Her ferocity, that classic orcish flurry of blows, fell on my defenses and nearly toppled me once more. I didn't have the endurance I used to but if there was one thing I remembered from training with Nikki way back when, it was that savage attack pattern. Hmm, there was an idea.

The grunt smashed my shield, pushing me back not so much with the blade of her axe but the sheer force of her blows. I was bloodied and bruised, desperately trying to hold on to all of my appendages. She bashed me with her own shield, kicked my defenses away, and chopped at my body with her axe once more. Instead of stepping away this time I pushed forward, shield first, forcing her back. My hammer met her axe as we squared off, blows being traded faster and faster, each strike glancing off the other's weapon. Finally I held my swing and the grunt lunged forward, stumbling a bit from the force of her attack. My knee met her gut as I leapt forward, then I smashed the back of her skull with my elbow.

The young orc toppled forward, wheezing for air, but scrambling to her feet nonetheless. Shargra wasn't fazed easily and charged again with full force. Having lost some weight in the swamp, and orcs being as brawny as they were, I wasn't able to hold my ground. She knocked me clean off my feet and began pummeling me into submission with her axe. I clenched my shield for dear life as her bloodrage continued, desperately wishing I still had my paladin powers.

Rolling to the side I surged forward as fast as I could, struggling to get on my feet again before another blow came. I felt the hot slice of an axe in my arm as I stood but turned to face my foe anyway. Blood ran freely from the open gash, the orc staring me in the eye, ready to unleash another devastating attack. Is this what I had become? An unfit opponent for even the lowliest grunt in the Horde army? In that moment of adrenalin-fueled self-loathing and pain I found something I thought I'd lost long ago; my ego.

The orc rawred in ferocity and raised her axe. As she charged forward I waited patiently. With one swift motion I saw the axe begin to come down and I moved, thrusting my hammer forward like a spear, the entire force of its head crushing her solar plexus. Shargra's eyes bulged and she nearly dropped her axe. Planting my knee rather ungracefully in her face, I sent her tumbling to the dirt.

"Don't worry, kid," I taunted, walking towards her as she rolled on the ground, "I'll be sure your commander picks a nice grave out for you." The orc squirmed, unable to breathe. Raising my hammer, I prepared to plant the final blow right between her shoulder blades. I made sure to do it with an exceptional amount of flair just in case…

"Enough!" Nikki said, grabbing my arm. Shargra looked at me with fear and confusion. "Alright, good to see you still have an arm on you," Nikki told me. "As for you, grunt, you'd better learn from this before you face another human soldier. One not so wet behind the ears."

Shargra nodded, still gasping for air. I reached my hand out to help her up. She seemed pretty shaken, though be it from embarrassment or exhaustion I wasn't sure. The grunts surrounding us just stared in mockery at her, it'd be a long time before she lived down losing to a human. Nikki pulled me aside and continued to spar with me, open wounds and all. She even added a few more of her own, and although I never really got a chance to get a solid shot on her, I was able to keep up for the rest of the afternoon. Not too shabby for being years out of practice. Eventually the training ended and the shaman was called to patch up the wounded. He seemed particularly miffed about having to heal me for the second day in a row.

Healed up and feeling better, I met with Nikki inside her barrack to get up to speed on some of the details of the operation. Most of it involved looking at outdated maps of the area and trying to ascertain whether or not there were still trolls living in the temple itself. She tended towards caution, claiming troll activity was still a possibility, while I maintained any trolls underwater that long would have suffocated in whatever air pockets existed. We argued over what they could be doing in there if there even were trolls, how many dragons we'd have to fight through, at what point Gregory intended to stab me in the back, and various other petty details. These debates went back and forth for a couple hours until dinner was finally served in all its grand portions.

As I dug into the delicious crocolisk steak in front of me I admitted, "I'm not used to orcish meals."

"I can tell," she replied, "You're as skinny now as you were twelve years ago."

I dropped my fork, "It's really been that long..."

"Yeah, quite a while," she said, taking another bite. She must have seen how concerned I was, "I'll set you straight though, don't worry. By the time this mission is over you'll be back to normal." Nikki caught herself mid-chew, "Or at least whatever passes for normal with you."

"Thanks, I think."

"Just saying, it takes a certain kinda nutball human to run around with the Horde to begin with." She took a long swig of beer, "and after half the crap you put me through, this right here barely registers."

I gave her a keen look, "By put you through you mean bailed your ass out of."

"I'm sorry, I seem to remember someone nearly getting killed by the border guards the first time they tried to go to Ashenvale because, and I quote, 'I think that Night Elf is into me.'"

A chuckle escaped me, my face turned down to hide my devilish grin, "Yeah, yeah, at least I tried."

"You always had a thing for elves," she said.

"I fucking hate elves."

"You love to hate elves. It's your guilty pleasure."

I grunted in disgust, "I can count on one hand the number of elves I can tolerate let alone enjoy their company for an entire night."

"Who said anything about an entire night?" Nikki said, a huge slab of crokolisk dangling from her knife, "You just need an hour or so, then you can tell them to get lost."

Shaking my head I tried to ignore the comment.

"Not sure which would get you off more," she continued, "Fucking the elf or watching their walk of shame home, you sadistic paladin you."

"I'm not a paladin anymore," I reiterated. That comment kind of killed the mood, with the rest of our dinner proceeding more or less in silence. I wasn't upset really, it was just the reality of the situation finally hitting home. Nikki and I still had a lot in common but she was always more together. She wanted to be a soldier, even when we were young. Now she was in command of her own outpost. Meanwhile I was trying to piece together what I had left of my life. It was a strange situation to be in for sure.

As I finished my deliciously generous meal, Nikki got up and started poking around a shelf. She pulled out a towel, a bar of soap, and a razor, setting them on the table. I pushed my plate aside, "What is all this?"

"If you're going to be in my squad you're going to look professional, and that means you have to scrub the swamp-funk off," she replied. "Get yourself cleaned up."

I handled the straight razor, "And that includes shaving?"

"That includes shaving, soldier." She opened the door, "There's a wash basin around back of the barracks."

Taking what she handed me I walked outside and around back. There was indeed a wash basin filled with fresh water waiting for me. Having spent so much time alone in the wilderness I never really looked at myself and how disgusting I'd gotten. All my skin was caked with mud, my hair stringy with pieces of muck and swamp grass. I soaked myself for a while, then as I lathered up I rediscovered my natural skin color. With every inch I cleaned it seemed something else needed work, which eventually lead me to scrubbing and rinsing and shaving my most of my body to get all the crustiness off. What started as a quick bath ended up taking the better part of an hour but by the time I was finished I felt and looked like a new man.

Toweled off and clean, I put my linen clothes back on and walked inside to find Nikki in the middle of her evening workout, cranking away on a pull-up bar in the corner of her barrack. I threw the stuff on the chair and waited for her to finish up. Dropping from the bar she turned to me, "Finally done? I thought you fffffbwahahahaha!"

"What?" I asked.

"You look ridiculous! What did you do with that razor!" She said, pointing at me.

I looked down at myself, "You told me to shave."

"Just your beard, you moron!" Nikki walked over and felt my smooth chest through my unbuttoned shirt, "You look like a kid now!"

I stood there looking rather undignified as the orc molested my hairless skin, "After spending a year in the swamp, I'll take that as a compliment."

"Sure," she said, "so did you shave everywhere else?"

I was about to answer that question but caught myself. Nikki chuckled and started putting away the weights scattered around the room. That's when I noticed, there was no place for me to sleep. "You said I'm staying here tonight, right?" I asked.

"Of course," she replied, "unless you'd really prefer to be locked up again."

"Where am I going to sleep? There's only-"

She grinned that big, tusky grin she had. 


	3. Chapter 3

I looked at the orc with incredulity, "You can't be serious."

Nikki approached me, "What's the matter? Did you think I forgot about the old days?"

She stood in front of me, hands on her hips, the sweat from her workout glistening under the v-cut sleeveless top she wore. I could see her green skin was knicked and scarred as much as my own. Still, as orcs went she was definitely fit and healthy, just not quite what I remembered. We were kids back then, no older than seventeen. We were never in love. Friends, sure, and horny teenagers naturally, but when you're thirty one none of that really applies. I shook my head, "That was a long time ago."

Nikki leaned over and grabbed me by the collar, "Oh come off it, Jack. Do you have any idea what it's been like trying to find someone out here I can relate to?" She pressed me into a chair and sat on my lap, "All these grunts, they don't have any experience. They don't know what it's like to see action, they have no stories to tell. They're just a bunch of scrubs I watch over like a matron." She put her arms around me, my eyes fixed with hers. "I know you know what that's like. When was the last time you found someone who understood where you came from?" Nikki shifted herself closer, her breasts pressing against my chest, "Someone who knows what you've been through?"

I could understand her all too well. When I was still skulking around the bars in Stormwind I found the girls there seemed to be getting younger every year. Those that listened to my stories were so impressed I didn't even need to make things up anymore. And it was so easy to pull them in for a night. It took all the fun out of the chase. You buy a few rounds for some Order initiates, you tell the story about that time you slew an entire pack of gnolls single-handedly, and boom, you got a pretty nineteen year old paladin in your bed. Either that or they called me a creep who was too old. Everyone my age was an established career man or settled down with a wife, or both. I could only imagine what it was like for Nikki, getting a constant rotation of young faces to command, anyone she could possibly relate to either looking after their own soldiers or back in Orgrimmar.

As much as I could sympathize with her feeling of lonesome experience I wasn't about to just give in to the desire to be childish out here. Reminiscing was one thing, but bringing together the old party for no reason, the teasing, the commander of the base having sex with a human on a whim, this was stupid stuff I'd expect from a teenager. We weren't just a gaggle of kids training in the Barrens anymore. Green dragons are nothing to trifle with and there was too much going on between us for this to end well. Pushing her off I stood up, "Nikki, I know how you feel but that doesn't mean we can just go back to fooling around like when we were young. You have responsibilities now."

"Really, you're going to talk to me about responsibilities, swamp man?" she said, grabbing my jaw. Not maliciously, more in a stern, chastising way. "Though perhaps I'm to blame for some of that. After all, I seem to remember making you swear to never join the Alliance again."

"Yeah," I said.

"And you never did, after all those years."

This was true, I kept my promise, though not so much for her sake. Working with the Horde was a kind of an eye-opening experience all around. After seeing so many orcish, tauren, and troll faces, it's hard to raise a hammer against them. It's so much easier when they're just monsters you hear about and only see when they're in a bloodrage on the battlefield. Hate becomes more difficult when you see them care for loved ones or train with them yourself. Hesitantly I pulled away from her, "I still don't think this is a good idea."

"And I still think it's funny you think you have a choice," she said, yanking me out of the chair and over towards the bed. She threw me on the mattress and straddled my hips, "You always did like to play hard to get." Arching her back, she pulled her top off. It must have been longer than I thought since we saw each other last, because I was pretty sure I'd remember all those scars. Not to mention the amazing pair of tits she managed to grow. The rest of her body was also magnificent, well toned and strong but not too bulky like most orcs. I laid back, taking it in for a minute, "You always had a soft spot for humans, didn't you?"

"Only the cute ones," she said, "Don't worry, I'll go easy on you." Leaning over, she kissed me as she undid my pants. I could feel her little tusks digging under my lips, it was a feeling I hadn't known in too long. Wrapping my arms around her neck I pulled her close, drinking in her kiss as she ran her fingers through my long, fresh hair. She groaned into me as she started rocking against my legs, her hand feeling up my bare chest and pushing my shirt the rest of the way off. I tugged her hair and pulled her on top of me, my hand cupping her warm, full breast and squeezing it like a soft fruit. Her clawed nails worked their way through my locks and down my neck as her moans became more intense. Clumsily she tried to pull her pants off with one arm while holding me with the other. I gave her a hand, using it as an opportunity to feel that orcish ass I knew and loved.

People say you can never go home, because even if home is just how you remember it, you will have changed yourself. Home isn't just a place it's a moment in time, a feeling. But when the people you care about change too, and change with you, then it can feel just as warm and inviting as you remember. Nikki had gone from a sharp and headstrong tomboy to a fully fledged woman and soldier. Underneath all the trappings of responsibility and maturity though was still the same girl who wanted to get her hands dirty and explore. She never changed who she was, just added to it. Maybe I was the same way, and maybe that's why she found it so disturbing to see me going off the deep end. She could see the old Jack in there somewhere and needed to pull him out, for her own sake as much as mine. She was right, I needed this.

Kicking her pants the rest of the way off, Nikki pulled mine down and smirked, "I KNEW you shaved the rest off!"

Giving her bald pussy a quick rub I said, "Hey, I didn't want you to feel left out."

"At least I have an excuse," she replied. "It gets muggy as hell out there, besides," she gestured to her clean-shaven body, "I'm a chiseled work of art, not a scrawny man-boy."

I ran my fingers across her abs. I wasn't much for strong women but you have to appreciate a gorgeous orc. "Mm hmm, a scrawny man-boy you're going to fuck the daylights out of," I said.

"Damn straight," she said, leaning in to kiss me again. I could feel her fondling my package as she moved on top of me, stroking my shaft as her tongue caressed mine.

I ran my hand down her back, she was always a big girl. Sure she was strong, but in a way that didn't betray her feminine traits, all of which I was more than willing to indulge in. As my cock hardened I moved it into position between the lips of her moist pussy. Every now and then she'd reach down to tuck it in a little more, not quite ready to ride, but I could tell she was chomping at the bit. Nikki always had a terrible poker face. Try as she might to act like a grown up, she was two seconds away from fucking me like a horny kid again. Every tug of her hair and pinch of her nipple just about put her over the edge until finally I had enough of her lollygagging.

Grabbing hold of her mohawk I pulled her head back and started biting her neck. This momentary shock of ecstasy was enough for me to push her off and roll on top. After one more quick nibble I pulled back and spread her legs, hooking my arms under her knees. If she wanted to fuck like the old days, I'd give her what she wanted. Nikki struggled a bit but I hoisted her legs higher over my shoulders, then pushed her up against the wall. She thrashed around; she always liked being on top. It came with being a tank I suppose, you like being in charge of everything. But I was a tank too now, or was at least. No longer just a healer to be pushed around. Heh, if she wanted to be on top so bad she'd have to fight for it.

"Jack, you dick!" she said, trying to move, but I held her tight. I knew she could get out of it if she really wanted but the struggle was half the fun. Leaning forward, her ass raised off the bed just a bit as I got myself situated. I saw her face go from playful annoyance to pleasure with the first thrust. With all the leverage I could ever want I began pounding her snatch like a rutting bull. It'd been years since I'd gotten any and god knows I had plenty of steam to blow off. Nikki grabbed the edge of the bed with one arm and her breast with the other, teeth bared, as I laid into her. Fucking her properly, like she wanted, like we both needed.

Our hips smacked together, rocking the bed with every thrust, the clack-clack of the wooden frame knocking against the wall setting the rhythm. I kept it going for as long as I could, pressing into her hips, every push causing her to moan a little louder. Eventually though I had to face the fact that I was still pretty out of shape. A year in a swamp living off the land kind of takes away from a soldier's endurance. I started to give out, leaning over her less for leverage and more for support. Nikki must have noticed this too and I half expected her to jump on top of me and pin me down now that she had the advantage. Instead she wrapped her legs around my hips, pulling me in. I laid out over top of her glorious body, catching my breath as I continued to rock against her, our hips now more caressing one another than raw savage pounding.

Nikki grabbed my ass and pulled me in deeper. Catching my second wind I continued where I left off, plowing her once more. It was easier now that she could buck into it, and judging by her face, she was just as close as I was to finishing. I felt my orgasm creeping up on me and tried to hold out as long as I could, but her magnificent hips coaxing my manhood into giving up its seed with every sensual motion wasn't helping matters. Taking her breast in my hand I started sucking her tit, groping it like it was my plaything. Nikki gave me a knowing sneer as I kept pace.

"You're gonna cum first, you human bastard," she said between gasps.

I stroked her vulva with my fingers, hips still going, "Not a chance, orc bitch!"

"Oh, you've had it now!" she said. Nikki's arm wrapped around my neck and pulled me on top of her chest. My head was tucked just beneath her chin and I could feel her tits pressed tight against my skin. With her free hand she started teasing my balls as her other pulled my hair. Both legs held me deep in her tight wet pussy as she bucked against me hard and fast, every motion sending a shiver down my spine. I tried to move but I was at her mercy. It didn't take long before I began groaning myself. Then I felt it. My nails dug into her shoulders as I pressed her hips into the mattress, my ejaculate forcing its way into her welcoming vag. With every pulse my grip tightened until the final wave of relief washed over me. I melted in her arms, exhausted and thoroughly fucked.

Slowly Nikki let me out of her grasp. She was panting but looked quite pleased with herself. I looked her in the eye but was at a loss for words, god did I need that. She laughed, "You're strong out of the gate but not much for stamina."

"Hey," I said between breaths, "It got the job done."

Chuckling, she gave me a kiss, "That it did." Then she rolled on top of me, "How long 'til you're ready for round two?"

"What?"

Her rack was sitting just on top of her folded arms, "You don't expect me to be satisfied after just one romp, do you?"

Staring up at her I tried to pull myself together, "Give me a few minutes."

"Heh, just a few?"

I let out a powerful yawn, "Maybe like, fifteen." Stretching out, I leaned back into the pillow. Nikki lay down next to me, a smile on her face. After all that happened today I was struggling to keep my eyes open. Seeing how much of a hard time I was having staying awake, she pulled the covers over us. I felt her arm around me as I drifted off into a warm, dreamless sleep.

The next morning I woke up to a sharp yank on my arms. Blurry-eyed, I gazed around the room and saw Nikki standing over me. Then I realized I couldn't move. My brain kick-starting back to life, I looked down to see my legs tied to the massive orcish bedposts. Nikki was just finishing tying my hands together around a third with a long strap of leather.

"Nikki, what the hell?" I croaked with morning grog.

"Hah! You still owe me another round," she said, pointing in my face, "I'm gonna take my time with this one."

I yanked and pulled on the straps to no avail, "God damn it, Nikki, let me out of here."

"Not until I'm satisfied, whelp!" she said, yanking the blankets off the bed.

Shaking my head I heaved a sigh of frustration, this was getting out of hand. "When I get out of this I'm going mmph!" She shoved a rubber ball gag in my mouth, tying it around my head before I could react. My mouth full, I just glared at her as she positioned herself over me, a riding crop in hand. She placed her hand over my throat, gradually tightening her grip until I was squirming, trying to breathe.

I was never a bondage person. Oh sure, I can see how it'd be fun for some people, those who want a little adventure or excitement in the bedroom or who just want to feel in control. It strokes hidden parts of the ego for everyone involved. I didn't need those parts stroked. My life had enough violence in it. When I lay with a woman I do it to forget all that, I just want to have fun and relax. Then again, I suppose this was relaxing for Nikki. When your life consists of drilling and regiment all the time it must be nice to just let loose and do things your way. Mercenary work is a lot more lax in that regard.

Nikki throttled me with the riding crop and I yelped through the gag, my painful groans coming out my nostrils as she eased her grip up enough to listen to me. The smell of the oiled leather was hanging over the bed as she molested my junk. Orcs aren't gentle, my dick felt like it was being smushed against my nuts. It wasn't so bad that it was outright painful, but it sure as hell wasn't comfortable. To make things worse my dick was rock hard in her grip from the word go; curse my morning wood. Slowly she began to ride me, her slick pussy grinding me into the bed.

Every so often she'd wail on my ass or thigh with the riding crop, causing me to wince and writhe around under her. She did this in time with her own bouncing, like she was a jockey on a horse. As her rhythm picked up she leaned over me, her nails digging into the skin around my collarbone. Then she pulled up, fingers running down my chest, leaving a streak of claw marks that just broke the skin. It was as exhilarating as it was humiliating. The welts rising, I yanked and pulled on my restraints before she had a chance to do it again but that only added to her excitement.

"Settle down you filthy human dog!" she whacked me with the crop again as I jerked this way and that. Falling on top of me she put her hand around my neck again as I tried to buck her off, her hips smacking me down against the bed in a rivalry of fucking. My hands in fists, I yanked and pulled against the leather straps, the whole bed creaking as we bobbed up and down in mock angry sex. Nikki began groaning as much as I was, her grip shifting to my shoulder for support. I could feel her nails digging in to my upper back as she pressed me into the mattress.

"Damn human, don't you make me cum yet!" she yelled, but the smile on her face said otherwise. I continued to buck and squirm, playing it up for her with every lash or claw mark. Bending over, Nikki playfully bit my chest. Each time she did her tusks would leave two little welts in case there was any question where they came from. Her territory thoroughly marked she began plowing me again, her breathing sharp. She was definitely close, and her relentless fucking caused the whole bed to bang against the wall. WHAP-WHAP-WHAP with every bounce, until finally she couldn't take it anymore. Nikki wrapped her arms around me, almost getting me in a chokehold as she came, her body causing the whole bed to tremble. Being smothered by a large, sexy, sweaty orc, her sweet hair in my face, her tits rubbing against my chest, I ended up cumming too as her pussy slowly slid off my dick, making quite a mess that I could only feel and imagine due to the awkward angle.

Finally pushing herself up, Nikki looked down at her conquest, eyes shining. Gradually she pulled herself off, leaving me panting through my nose. "Let me get that for you," Nikki said, pulling my ball gag free. My dazed and exhausted expression eased a bit once I could breathe through my mouth again. As she toweled off I just leaned against the bed, waiting for her to untie me. Then she started putting her clothes on. Then she walked towards the door.

"Uh, aren't you forgetting something?" I said.

Nikki flashed me a wicked grin, "I'll be right back."

"Nikki, get me out of these things."

She chuckled as I tugged and pulled, shaking the bed around, "Not yet, sucker!"

"NIKKI!" I yelled, twisting this way and that.

Nikki opened the door and her eyes almost popped out of her head. Immediately she slammed it shut.

"What's going on, what's out there?" I demanded.

"Nothing, just keep quiet," she said, leaning against the door.

Suddenly, there was a loud knocking, "Legionnaire Blacktusk! I need to speak with you!" It was a female voice, elven. It must be the final party member from Silvermoon. And…she was about to see me naked and tied to a bed.

"You blasted orc, get me out of these restraints!" I yelled.

"Quiet!"

"Is that a human!? What is going on!?" The elf said.

Nikki looked at the door, then looked at me. Quickly she mouthed something to the effect of "I'll stall her" but when she opened the door the elf burst into the room. She had long blonde hair and wore the telltale red and black armor of the Blood Knights. Then I saw her face. I'd know that cross, indignant look anywhere.

"How dare you interrupt this interrogation?" Nikki awkwardly stumbled with the words, her exclamation coming out almost like a question.

The elf stared at me, dumbfounded for a solid five seconds before saying, "…Sir Abrams?"

"Lysandra," I said cordially.

Her gaze gradually shifted to Nikki who was at this point a bright shade of red. It was that kind of deer in the headlamps head turn, slow and purposeful with disbelief. "Legionnaire Blacktusk, could I speak with you outside?" she said meticulously.

"Yes, of course," Nikki replied.

The two of them started out the door before I realized I was still strapped in, "Hey, aren't you forgetting something?" The door shut. "HEY!" I cried. "Nikki! I'm going to break your neck for this!" With some careful maneuvering I managed to gradually work my arms loose. It took the better part of half an hour but with some gradual rubbing against the bed frame I got the knot untied. Once my hands were free I was untied and dressed in a flash. Throwing the door open I started after them, the orcs in the town still glaring at me. I was too pissed to care. I was angry at Nikki for leaving me tied up, angry at Lysandra for having the gall to show her face outside of Silvermoon, but most of all, angry at everything I'd been driven to over the past two years because of that blasted elf and her lies.

I made my way towards the inn, it was where the rest of the party was staying so I was sure that's where I'd find them. The guard in front of the entrance moved to block my path. That poor, innocent fool.

"Halt!" he said, "You are not permitted in th-"

I kicked him full force in the chest, sending him flying back through the swinging doors of the inn. Everyone inside stared at me as I entered. The orc on the floor was about ready to pounce. Nikki and Lysandra sat around the fire in the back with the other two party members, so I approached them. Then the guard put his hand on my shoulder and threw me against the wall, "That was a fatal mistake, scum."

At this point Jack Radical was so pissed Jack Radical began thinking in the third person, "Fatal for you, orc." With a swift kick I took out his knee while planting my fist in his face, sending him to the floor again. He staggered to his feet, face filled with rage. Drawing his axe, the guard prepared to lop my head off. Nikki ran between us before any real blood could be shed, "That is ENOUGH!"

The both the guard and Nikki glared at me but I returned their gaze. "Jack, what the hell is wrong with you?" she said, "I was going to come for you as soon as I had the Blood Knight situated."

"I need to speak with the elf," I replied through gritted teeth.

Nikki stood in front of me, hands on her hips, "I don't care what you want, human. I'm in command here and I told you not to walk this outpost unescorted. Now get back to my barracks."

"Jack Radical doesn't take orders," I replied. My anger was getting the better of me. I could feel a wave of disbelief at my own arrogance rushing down my spine as Nikki's face went from stern to terrifying.

Without a second's hesitation she threw me right back against the wall, "Jack Radical will follow orders or Jack Radical will find himself in a crate headed to Orgrimmar so fast his head will still be spinning by the time the zeppelin docks!" My back pressed against the old orcish plaster, she lifted me off my feet, "Do I make myself clear!?"

I took a deep breath, "Crystal."

"Now get back there." Nikki practically threw me out the door. Having lost face with just about everyone in the tavern, the rest of the party included, I was in no mood to stick around anyway. My pride thoroughly swallowed I entered the barrack and began pacing about. I didn't suffer humiliation easily, even if I deserved it. What was I trying to prove, anyway? I wasn't always like this. At least, I didn't remember being this way before. Where was my self control, my honor? I sighed as I took a seat by the table, realizing how much further I had left to go. 


	4. Chapter 4

I was left to stew in these thoughts for a while until at last Nikki entered. Closing the door behind her, she addressed me coolly, "The paladin is getting acquainted with the other party members." We stared at each other for a moment, "Do you have anything to say?"

With a hard swallow I choked down my pride, "I'm sorry for the outburst."

"What the hell got into you, Jack."

It was more of a statement than a question, but I decided to answer it anyway, "The elf, she's… I knew her from Silvermoon. She was my liaison."

Nikki took a few steps forward. Her expression was still cross but her voice eased, "That's where you know each other from? I suspected that might've had something to do with it."

"More than that," I admitted, "she was the one who showed me the Naaru." Nikki's face winced at hearing this. Steeled as she was she knew how much this had to affect me. The question on her mind though was would it affect the mission? I didn't give her the chance to ask, "Don't worry, I won't let this interfere anymore."

"I don't suffer insubordination in my ranks," she said, "If you challenge me again, especially in front of the troops, I'll kill you myself."

Nikki probably wouldn't kill me, but the key word there was "probably." Get an orc mad enough and they're liable to do anything. I nodded in agreement with her, "You're in charge, commander."

"Good." She let out a deep breath, I could tell she didn't enjoy berating me but it was her duty after all. She made a damn fine officer. "With that said, it's good to see you have some starch in your spine again."

"Glad to have it back, ma'am."

"Don't you 'ma'am' me," she said, trying not to smile, "I'll kill you for that too, and then I'll have to kill Gregory because I'll have beaten him to the punch, and then half the party will be dead."

Nikki opened the door to leave and beckoned me to follow, but as she looked outside she found Lysandra walking towards the barracks. The elf quickly saluted and said, "Legionnaire Blacktusk, I request permission to speak with Sir Abrams in private."

Nikki gave her the hairy eyeball, "This isn't going to cause more problems, is it?"

"No, ma'am, but the paladin and I have some personal history that I feel needs addressing before things are underway."

She looked at me, then back at the elf and said, "Alright, I still have some preparations to make anyway. Make it quick though, I want to set off by noon."

The two of us went back inside as Nikki left in the direction of the blacksmith. The air was tense between us. Lysandra addressed me with the same distant attitude she had when we last parted ways, "Sir Abrams, it is good to see you well."

I was in no mood for niceties, "What do you want, elf?"

Lysandra straightened up, "There are a few things I feel you should know since you left Silvermoon."

"There are a few things you should know too, Sir Dawnsworn," I said tersely. "For one, I'm not a paladin anymore, so you can stop with the sir crap."

She paused for a moment, "I am sorry to hear that."

"Yeah," I said, walking around the table. I stared at the collection of miniatures on it, unable to look her in the face, "I do hope that Naaru is doing your people more favors than it's been doing me. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it for the past two years."

Lysandra stepped towards the table, "That is what I wanted to discuss, things have changed."

"Have they?" I could feel my anger rising, "Because they certainly have for me as well."

She nodded, "The Naaru is no longer with us."

I raised an eyebrow, "That is unexpected. Did you set it free or just finish it off?"

As Lysandra closed her eyes I could tell her composure was waning. Whatever it was she was going to tell me was going to be just as damning as that evening in Silvermoon. I propped myself up on the table for support as she began to speak, "Kael'thas the Betrayer attacked the city with his demonic army not long ago. They kidnapped the Naaru in spite of our best efforts, and in its weakened state, corrupted it."

Gripping the edge of the table I waited for the anger to hit me. Instead my mind went numb, I couldn't feel a thing. I imagined it would rush over me in a moment but for now, merely disbelief.

Realizing that I wasn't going to say anything, she continued, "Without a source to draw from, we had but one option left. The Blood Knights sought redemption from the great Naaru, A'dal of Shattrath, begging forgiveness for our trespasses in exchange for our assistance in routing the demons that plague both our worlds."

I looked up at Lysandra, "You had the audacity to ask for forgiveness? For trapping a Naaru and causing it to succumb to demonic influence?" My hands slammed against the table, "You sniveling wench, you heretic! You, and all your people, I should have seen you purged!"

Lysandra raised her hands, both of them glowing with the holy power of the Light, "A'dal forgave us, Jack."

"You lie!" Smacking the figures from the table I continued to speak, gestures flailing like so much impotent rage, "You might have taken it prisoner for all I know."

She shook her head, "A'dal said it was forgiven, that the Naaru we took, M'uru, knew and accepted its fate long before we captured it."

"So that's it? You're off the hook, just like that?" I chucked at the absurdity, too livid to do anything else, "This is outrageous, why should I believe a single word you say? That creature might still be shackled beneath your city."

The elf shook her head, "Why would I tell you such things if they were not true? It was not a proud event for the Blood Knights but it was a necessary one."

"I don't know," I said, "Why are you telling me this in the first place? What good does it do me to have even more reasons to hate you and your ilk?"

"Because after what happened you deserved closure, Jack. Good or bad, you were a part of it and deserve to know what happened."

My fist clenched around a figurine of a dragon I'd been toying with, "Do you have any idea what I've been going through these past two years? I haven't been able to fall asleep at night without hearing that Naaru crying in pain. It's suffering, and through my silence now its demise, are my fault." I threw the dragon and it shattered against the earthen wall, "I am a shell of a man, Lysandra, and now you tell me my crimes are worse than I thought!?"

"You are not guilty of anything," she insisted. "No one is blaming you for your involvement and even A'dal forgave us of our willful sins. Cannot you forgive yourself for something so beyond your control?"

Could it be that simple? Just forgive myself and move on like Grelmen and Nikki said? No, I'd been through too much. So much of my time was spent on self-flagellation, I couldn't even imagine not deserving the punishment I endured. And yet, here was Lysandra, one of the guiltiest of them all, a full paladin in spite of all her transgressions. I didn't even need to go begging to some Naaru for forgiveness, I just needed to let go. Curse her and her people, why did they vex me this way?

I looked her in the eye, my own bitterness like a swell of acid in my stomach. I had to spit it out, "A'dal may have forgiven you and your people, Lysandra, but I have not. As far as I'm concerned your entire order is still corrupt."

Sadly shaking her head, she replied, "That is your choice, but not a wise one. Not the one the Jack Radical I knew would make."

"The Jack Radical you knew died with my faith and your good intentions. You saw well to that."

Flinching at these words, Lysandra stepped back from the table, "I suppose that I did. Perhaps it is too much to expect those wounds to heal."

Walking past her I stood by the door, "Let's go, I don't want to keep Nikki waiting."

She opened the door outside, not saying a word. The blacksmith was nearby so fortunately it was a short walk. Nonetheless it was an awkward, almost painful silence between us. Before I stepped inside however I felt a tug on my arm.

"Wait, I want you to know," she said, "Your teachings, on faith and the Light."

"What about them?" I asked.

Lysandra gestured to the libram on her hip, "They were instrumental in our understanding. Do not think your time with us was in vain."

I walked inside the blacksmith without responding. It was good to know, but a paltry condolence all things considered. Fortunately I wasn't able to dwell on it too long as the overwhelming heat and smoke from the furnaces blasted my face the moment I stepped through the door. Nikki was standing in the far corner, oiling her armor on its stand. As I approached, the old blacksmith handed me a crate.

"That should be all of it," he said. I looked at the pieces inside and frowned, it somehow seemed worse than I remembered. "Well, don't just stand there, get it on."

I took a seat and began putting on my armor, starting with the padded clothing. Pulling a few pieces off the rack, Nikki was assembling her own set. "I take it you two sorted things out," she said.

I pulled the chainmail over my head, "Yeah, we settled it."

"All patched up then?"

"It won't cause any problems," I replied.

Nikki strapped a couple plates to her body, "Of course, but I'm asking about you personally. Are you okay?"

Fumbling with the chainmail I searched for an answer I wasn't sure I had. This was quite a lot to process and I didn't have enough time yet. Sure, I wasn't going to forgive Lysandra so easily, but what about myself? What about the Blood Elves as a whole? I didn't really want them purged, but this was the worst of all possible outcomes, an outcome I could have stopped but didn't for their sake. I just felt so… angry.

Nikki frowned, "I take that as a no."

Still lost in thought I absently muttered, "Yeah…"

She finished attaching her pauldrons and clapped me on the shoulder, "Look, I know having that paladin here is only going to make things harder for you but you have to let this go." I stood up, my indignation rising again. Trying to shrug off her grip, she instead wheeled me around to face her. She stared me in the eye and said, "This is hard for me too, you know."

"Really? How."

Her eyes narrowed a bit, "Because I remember the old Jack, and I know that Jack is still inside somewhere."

"Is he?" I asked, my tone as dry as the sweltering air.

Nikki nodded, "Yeah, he is, cause if he wasn't the Blood Elves wouldn't be around either."

This struck a chord with me I didn't expect. Looking away I tried to reconcile what she meant but it hurt to think about, like a stabbing ice pick in the top of my head. She let me go, "You're still my friend, alright? You're going to get through this. I just want you to know that."

"I know," I said. For once I actually believed I would, too.

"Good," she replied, cinching up her legplates, "Now finish putting that armor on so we can get going. Those dragons aren't going to slay themselves."

Content with her reasoning, I concentrated on getting ready for the quest at hand. The armor the smith provided me did in fact fit better under a set of padded clothing and chainmail. It wasn't perfect, but I felt less like a wind-up toy or a piece of canned meat. I looked like a mercenary from the mismatched pieces to the awkward fit, not quite designed for any one job and not bad at any one in particular either. Yet, somehow, I liked it. After all it was my first set of full plate and I had no expectations that the armorsmith would want a heap of scrap like this back when the mission was through. It was nothing compared to Nikki's set however. As we stepped outside and met the rest of the party, it was clear she would be tanking this endeavor. Nikki was an incredibly strong orc but her armor was so heavy it still weighed her down. This wasn't helped by her massive tower shield and hand axe. As she placed her helmet on her head and lead us forward, I couldn't help noticing she looked less like a person and more like a war machine.

The rest of the party was more lightly clad. Gregory was wearing his usual ragged leather, not much for protection but it allowed him the utmost maneuverability. Jamal's thick runecloth glistened with magical reagents of the elements. Lysandra's armor was even lighter than my own, and tinfoil compared to Nikki's. She would be healing the party. My job, I could only assume, was to hit things. Very hard and very fast.

Getting to the temple wasn't nearly as much of a problem as Nikki made it out to be. The dragons, although patrolling far from the temple, were spread out enough we could avoid them. Thanks to Jamal's alchemy, crossing the water to the temple itself posed no challenge either. This entire operation was going to be smooth as glass I thought. Inside the temple though we encountered sparse yet worrying resistance. Snakes and oozes we expected, but undead trolls, mummified through ritual and brought back to life by some magical essence, concerned Jamal greatly.

"I would not worry," Lysandra said as we entered the temple proper, "The trolls of these temples always performed such rituals to their dead, have they not?"

Jamal glowered at her through his voodoo mask, "Do not take me for sum fool, I know de' foul magics when I see 'dem."

I chimed in, "Any idea what's causing this?"

He paused for a moment, gripping his staff, but shook his head, "Could be many 'tings; bad mojo, old god worship, I don't know."

"Quiet," Nikki said, leading us down one of the corridors. We all clammed up and followed. Most of what we found waiting for us was what we'd expect in a sunken temple in the middle of a swamp. Elementals, giant worms, snakes, occasionally a wind serpent, but nothing out of the ordinary. It was strange that so much air and open space remained inside but that I supposed was due to the incredibly solid troll construction not allowing water to seep in. As we meandered through the labyrinthine halls we began to notice a pattern.

"Legionnaire Blacktusk," Lysandra said, "Have we passed this statue before?"

"The one of the snake?" Gregory asked.

"Yes, I recall seeing it already."

Gregory walked towards the statue. It was on a pedestal on the edge of a balcony overlooking a massive refuse pit. Across from us were five other balconies, each with similar statues atop them. "Yes, elf, I'd say you've passed it before. I'd say you've passed it at least half a dozen times now."

She looked around the room, then back at the Forsaken, "I was merely suggesting-"

"Suggesting the obvious, yes, because we haven't had five minutes pass without your fleshy gums flapping yet," he snidely remarked. As he said this he patted the statue and the entire pedestal lit up at his touch. "Well now," he said, backing away, "Isn't that interesting."

Nikki stepped closer, "Jamal, do you know anything about this?"

"It be ancient magic, used as a seal of our most prized artifacts," the troll replied. He looked over the other balconies, "I suggest we try de other statues."

"Split up," Nikki said, "Everyone grab a balcony and try the statue there.

We all ran out and jumped onto our own balconies and touched the statues in turn. As soon as Gregory touched a second statue however, the first went out. Fortunately, Nikki was still standing there waiting for us all to get into position, so he called out to her. "Commander, touch the statue again!"

"What!" she replied.

"I said touch the statue again!" he shouted louder.

Nikki touched the snake and it once again lit up. This time I tried touching my statue, and it began to glow. Then Lysandra touched hers and they both went out. "I think we need to touch them in sequence!" she yelled.

"I already had lunch!" Nikki called back.

"No, sequence! We need to activate them in order!"

"I give the orders around here, elf!" she responded.

Lysandra wandered off her balcony and ran all the way around to talk to Nikki. During this time, Gregory got bored of waiting and sprinted back to touch the first snake while Lysandra and Nikki were arguing. I touched mine as soon as he did and both were lit again. Then Jamal touched his and we lit a third. Gregory then ran back to Lysandra's spot and touched her statue, sending them all dark once more. Frustrated, Nikki touched her statue and walked over one balcony to the thus far unmanned statue, figuring we'd already established which statue began the sequence. I touched mine again, and Jamal his, but Lysandra, getting confused as to Nikki's whereabouts, went to a different balcony, which caused Gregory to go to and touch the wrong statue, which caused them all to go out again.

Some variation of these extremely confusing events continued on for the better part of the afternoon with no progress being made. Eventually, aggravated and mentally exhausted, we all reconvened by the main hallway. Jamal summed up the situation, "Whatevah be hidin' behind dis magic, it's far beyond our abilities, mon. I suggest we be headin' deepah into deh temple."

"Agreed, whatever ancient troll knowledge designed these confounded statues is clearly beyond our understanding," Lysandra added.

Reluctant to admit defeat, Nikki leaned on her tower shield, "Come on, one more try?"

We all looked at her with exasperated glares.

"Alright, fine."

With that matter settled we headed into the next corridor. This wing of the temple, unlike the last one, held much more challenging and frightening foes. More trolls, not all of which were undead, as well as green dragons. It seemed Nikki and Jamal were both right; there was a connection between the two. In between bouts of combat I took a moment to ask the question on all our minds, how deep into this temple did we plan to go?

"We need more answers," Nikki responded, "I need to know why these trolls are antagonizing the dragons after all these years."

"What are the dragons even doing here?" I asked.

Jamal stepped up to answer this one, "Dey were the ones who sunk the temple to begin with. By protectin' dis temple dey try to keep the evil magics within concealed."

I looked around, "I mean, I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary."

"Just wait," he replied.

As we pressed on, thicker packs of enemies and nastier foes impeded our progress. In spite of my lack of practice I was still useful as a second meat shield. Fortunately for all involved, Lysandra was a skilled healer and managed to keep us on our feet. Especially me, my stamina wasn't what it once was and this new plate armor was cumbersome to move in. Nikki was in top form though and hardly let a thing past her. Jamal's magic was incredibly strong for a troll. Not that trolls didn't possess powerful magics of their own, but it was unusual to find a mage so disciplined outside of traditional kingdoms. I was glad he took his studies seriously after we parted ways as teenagers. Gregory was as lethal as ever but I never trusted him at my back. Luckily for me he was often at the back of some troll or dragonkin instead so I could keep an eye on him.

As the enemies fell to our might we made gradual headway but the further in we moved the more we began to wear down. Eventually, our mana drained and wounds piling up, we had to take a break. Pulling inside an empty chamber to hide for a bit, we each took a moment to catch our breath and assess the situation, out of sight from any wandering patrols. Looking around, the room seemed like some sort of sacrificial chamber. There were braziers and bones scattered about a magical ring on the floor as well as some crumpled up parchment. Taking a long swig of water I leaned up against the wall. I was starting to believe Jamal; something about this place just felt wrong, like I'd been here before. That was when I noticed Jamal examining the parchment.

"Wait, what are you doing?" I asked.

He either didn't hear me or didn't care. There was an intense look on his face as he poured over the words. Then he shook his head, "Deez fools, dey're tryin' tah resurrect the Faceless One!"

Nikki took the paper from him to examine it, "I'm sorry, the what?"

"De Old God, Hakkar," he replied.

She grunted with mockery, "Yeah, good luck with that. I take it this is their ritual?" Nikki waved the crumpled parchment.

"Aye," he said, "Da scroll itself be magic, I doubt 'dere be many like it."

Nikki fumbled with a leather pouch inside her armor and pulled out a piece of flint, "Well, now there'll be one fewer." She struck the flint against the blade of her axe and a shower of sparks flew at the paper. Jamal screamed and tried to yank it away but it was too late, the parchment burned to ash in seconds.

"Do you have any idea what you did!?" he cried. A stale wind blew through the chamber as the braziers around us lit one by one. Gregory and Lysandra gathered their weapons as we all collectively backed towards the door. The pile of wind serpent bones lying in the middle of the floor rose from the dust one by one into the shape of an enormous skeleton.

"Foul undead!" Lysandra yelled, striking it with her judgment spell.

The magic had little effect. Smaller, living wind serpents poured from cracks in the walls. They rushed towards us as the creature completed its assembly. "Mortals!" it's voice echoed off the walls, as if some magical presence was using the bones as a puppet, "Through your trespass you have awakened the Avatar of The Faceless One. Now you shall be justly rewarded…"

The serpents attacked in droves. Nikki and I held them back but it was no use. For every one we killed two more took its place. Jamal fired spell after spell into the pack of monsters but quickly grew short on mana. Lysandra hadn't fully recovered herself and was soon spent, and in the middle of the confusion Gregory managed to slip away. Great, I thought, that's just like a rogue. Nikki held on as long as she could but realized this was going to be our last stand if the party didn't move. We didn't have time to figure out how to defeat the monster and we were in no shape to take it head on.

"Everyone, get out of here, now!" she ordered. None of us hesitated. I retreated with the others, but as soon as we exited the room panic took over. Jamal broke away and ran down a hallway to the left while Lysandra and I went right. Nikki waited until everyone was out of sight before she took off running herself, the wind serpents biting at her steel plates the entire time. In the craziness that followed, Lysandra and I became separated from the rest of the party, only able to hear the angry hissing of serpents far behind us. She stuck close to me as we marched further down the dark corridor.

A loud clatter came from around the next corner and we hurried further down the hall. Sticking to the moist stonework, I peaked around and saw Jamal launching frostbolts at a huge green drake. He was going to get himself killed if he didn't get away, and fast. I turned to Lysandra but she seemed hesitant to intervene. Could the three of us really take on a drake alone?

I peeked around the corner again just in time to see Jamal seal himself in ice. The drake pecked at his frozen barrier a few times then backed off, irritated but no longer aggressive. Well, I thought, at least he'll be safe until I can find Nikki. The drake was slowly making its way towards our end of the hallway so I motioned for us to start backing up, down the hallway from whence we came.

"Jack, what are we going to do?" Lysandra whispered as we quietly moved towards the center chamber.

"I don't know, let's find Nikki first," I replied.

She frowned, "What if she did not escape the serpents?"

"She escaped," I said.

"I think we should leave while we can, discretion is the better part of valor."

I ignored that comment, I wasn't about to leave my friends to die in this hellhole. I certainly wasn't going to take the advice of some damnable elf either. As we entered the central room I heard commotion coming down the adjacent hallway. The serpents were still milling about but in much thinner numbers, I could only assume the rest scattered across the temple after their prey escaped. Raising my hammer, I stormed my way across the center of the room to the other side of the hallway, where Jamal originally ran. Without the strength of their pack these beasts went down like so many rats in the Deeprun Tram. Lysandra helped by keeping me patched up, albeit reluctantly.

When we neared the entrance I was nearly bowled over by the corpse of the same drake we'd seen before flying down the hall, an axe embedded in its chest. It landed with a thud in front of us. Nikki swaggered out of the hallway and yanked her weapon free, "Good to see you're all still in one piece."

"Yeah, you too," I said, a little dazed at what I'd just seen. When did Nikki get so strong?

"It'll take more than a few puny whelps to bring me down," she replied, scoffing at the drake's corpse. "Jamal's hurt pretty bad though, and frankly I've seen enough of this place. Let's get him healed up and head out."

"Yes ma'am," Lysandra and I replied.

We began walking back towards Jamal's frozen body when we heard a loud rawr, more ferocious than any of the drakes or dragonkin we'd fought. The rumble of heavy footsteps caused the dust in the stone walls to crumble out, and the heavy thump of footsteps echoed through the stone halls.

"What the hell is… wait," Nikki said, "Where's Gregory?"

We didn't have time to answer that question. Out of the far chamber came a hulking image of a dragon. Not a drake like we'd faced before, no, this was a full blown dragon. Or at least the image of one, it appeared incorporeal, but as it grew closer we figured it best not to rely on it being a ghost.

"Where the hell did that come from!?" I asked as we collectively hauled all that is ass down the hall.

"I don't know, but we have to face it," Nikki said.

"WHAT!?" Lysandra shrieked.

Nikki stopped about fifty yards short of Jamal's icy form, "I'm not leaving a man behind, Lok'Narash!" Slamming her tower shield in a crack in the floor she hunkered down. I waited behind her, nervously clenching my hammer in my fist. Lysandra backed off slowly, I half expected her to scurry away. The dragon bore down on Nikki and with one of its colossal arms took a hard swipe at the orc. There was a loud *CLANG* as the creature's talons struck the metal but Nikki stood firm. Raising her axe she swung back, wounding it. This creature was definitely alive, or at least extant enough to damage.

I ran towards it and smashed it with my hammer full force. The blow wasn't as effective as I'd hoped, and for my trouble I got the business end of its tail. The dragon sent me tumbling back against the wall but I was no worse for wear. Nikki and the creature squared off with Lysandra healing anything that got through. Between Nikki's incredible discipline and my tenacious attacks we were slowly whittling the corrupted monster down, blow by blow.

As the dragon was wearing out I steeled my courage for yet another go at. I raised my hammer, began the charge, and-*POW* my knee gave out. As soon as I hit the ground I rolled over, looking up to see none other than Gregory. His yellow-toothed grin shined through under his hood, "Oh Jack, I bet you thought I was long gone, didn't you?"

"You bastard," I muttered, pulling myself up, "This dragon is going to kill us all, not just me."

"Correction, it's going to kill whatever it can find," he said knowingly, daggers in hand, "And that just happens to be you, and that insolent elf, and the stupid orc, and even the troll." I readied my shield as he paced back and forth. "Everyone that happens to be alive and mortal."

"Jack, what the hell is going on?" Nikki said, swiping at the dragon with all her strength. She couldn't take her eyes off the dragon.

I looked at her, then back at Gregory. This was the worst possible time and place but this couldn't be settled any other way. "What are you waiting for?" I asked him.

His yellow eyes narrowed as he stepped forward. My hammer raised, I swung at the Forsaken but he parried and slammed me right in the kidneys. Staggering forward I gasped for air, then the sharp pain of a dagger between my plates sent searing pain through my body. Two more blows came, each landing perfectly between my armor, followed by a terrible gash across my back. Unable to move I tumbled to the floor, blood pouring from my wounds. In a moment though I was enveloped in a flash of light. Wounds healed and body ready again, I scrambled to my feet just in time to see Gregory running towards Lysandra.

"Get back, you abomination!" she commanded, lashing out at him with a holy spell. The exorcism hit dead on and shook him to the core, but it wasn't enough to stop such a seasoned rogue as Gregory. As he neared he almost danced around the elf, catching her off guard and striking with his poisoned blades as easily as he did against me. Lysandra toppled over, grabbing at a bleeder in her side.

"No!" I cried, hurling my shield at him. I wasn't used to this technique, it having only just been taught to me when I was still a paladin. The rogue easily dodged it with a look of amusement.

"Oh, Jack, I didn't know you cared so much," he said, eyes shifting to the wounded elf.

"Lysandra, where's my healing!?" Nikki shouted, barely keeping the dragon at bay.

"Nikki, hold on," I replied. I turned back to my adversary, "Gregory, your fight is with me, let her go!"

He waved his finger back and forth, "Jack, that's not how this game is played."

"What are you talking about!?" I yelled, "This entire time you've been saying you wanted to kill me. Well here I am!"

He gripped the dagger firmly in one of his rotting fists and the helpless elf's neck in the other, "I did want to kill you, but now I have so much more to work with." His bony fingers caressed Lysandra's face, "After your breakdown I realized how vulnerable you are. To pain, to failure, to your own shortcomings." He pressed the blade against her neck, "Why kill you when I can *torture* you?"

Lysandra's face was pure terror. Her lips quivered as her eyes darted between her captor and me, unable to speak and desperately looking for a way out. The blood seeped from her wound on to the floor, she was defenseless. He was going to execute her just to get at me. I felt the weight of the hammer in my hands; the Forsaken was at least twenty feet away. There's no way I'd be able to get to him before he slit her throat.

Gregory eyed me up and drew the blade back, waiting, but for what? For me to attack? He knew I wouldn't be so stupid to just lunge in there. Lysandra's eyes were fixed on mine, begging for me to do something, anything. I sized him up and carefully stepped forward. As I neared, his blade drew further up until the hilt of the dagger was squeezed against the side of her neck.

"JACK!" a cry came from behind me. I whipped my head around just in time to see Nikki being thrown like a ragdoll against the wall of the temple, her plate armor being pulled apart like the lid of a tin can. Blood and bruises obscured her face but I could physically feel the thud her body made against the cold stone wall.

Distracted by the shock of seeing Nikki being defeated, I turned my attention away from the rogue just for an instant. In that split second he swiped his blade across the paladin's neck. Lysandra fell to her knees, clenching at the waterfall of blood coming from her severed artery. The life began draining from her right before my eyes as Gregory stood over her body.

My mind went blank. I couldn't process everything that was going on. Nikki being torn apart by a dragon, Lysandra dying on the floor, and Gregory about to murder me as well. I couldn't think, couldn't understand what I'd done wrong, what I was supposed to do, what I was supposed to feel. I searched myself for something, anything that I could use.

Gregory stepped forward, chuckling to himself at my paralysis, "Oh dear, have I broken the mighty Jack Radical?" He kicked me in the stomach and I doubled over, clenching my abdomen. "Broken in mind, in spirit, and soon in body." He raised his dagger and plunged it towards my neck, but his attack was repelled by a magical force. As I looked up, I saw I was surrounded by a holy blessing of protection.

"Jack…run…" Lysandra gurgled.

I stared at her in disbelief. She'd used the last of her magic to save me, magic she might have used to save her own life. In my awe I stuttered, "But, why!?"

"Self-sacrifice… for the good of others…" she replied weakly. A knowing smile crossed her face as she closed her eyes.

I felt a burning in my heart, not the mindless rage of a warrior but the righteous fire of a spirit in tune with the Light. All this time spent wandering and searching, all the nights of guilt, these washed away from me in a glorious eureka. Lysandra was right. That damnable, heretical, beautiful pain in the ass genuinely understood what I'd forgotten. There was no shame in failure, nor dishonor in defeat. I couldn't feel guilt over something beyond my control. What might have been doesn't matter, there is just what is. The only real tragedy for a paladin, the only thing I was truly guilty of, was forgetting the meaning of my knighthood. And I was the only one who could grant forgiveness for that. Paladins give of themselves for the good of others. Nothing else matters.

Gregory stood a few steps away from my magical barrier, "Heh, not going to fulfill her dying wish? And I thought I was cold, Jack."

Collecting my thoughts, I stared at the Forsaken. If I ran, the entire party was dead. It was too late for Lysandra. She gave her life for me and now I had to make her sacrifice mean something. I could still get Jamal out alive and maybe Nikki too. I had to try. "Gregory," I said, "This is your only chance. Run while this magic still binds me."

The rogue burst into laughter, "Oh I will, Jack! Don't you worry, but only after you and all your living fleshbag friends are dead."

The blessing of protection fell and I raised my hammer. Gregory readied himself for my attack but as he watched his eyes widened in disbelief. I felt the Light flow through me for the first time in years. My hammer began glowing with holy magic and in one swift motion I swung at the rogue. A holy blast struck him, sending a shiver through his body just as Lysandra's did. While he was shaken I pulled back again and nailed him with my righteous fury, sending him flying down the hallway.

With Gregory dealt with for the moment, I turned around and charged as much of the holy magic as I could muster. Two years out of shape doesn't yield the best results, but after a few seconds of fumbling with the spell I got my greater heal collected. Nikki was barely holding on against the dragon, smashed and battered against the wall, clinging to her shield for dear life. My spell mended the worst of her wounds, and as she rose to her feet, axe clenched in her bloody fist, the dragon rawred in anger and frustration.

Renewed in spirit as well as body she charged forward, her bloodrage in full effect. With a furious howl she cried, "Lok'tar ogar!" She dropped her shield and swung at the dragon with both hands guiding the axe. So powerful was her attack and so true the strike that her axe cleaved the phantom dragon's arm in half, sending it reeling back. Nikki picked her shield up and resumed the battle with new vigor.

I turned back around but there was no sign of Gregory. Fool me once, I'm mad. Fool me twice though and I'm officially that guy. Fool me three times you're my ex-wife. I whirled around and found myself staring eye to eye with the Forsaken. He managed to land a strike with his blade but I crushed his defenses with my judgment. I swung and he parried, he stabbed and I countered, we traded blows back and forth, the Light giving me the strength to match his prowess. Nevertheless, even the most zealous paladin can't fight forever. My mana was nearly spent and my stamina began giving out long before Gregory ran out of energy. His blows became faster and more savage. It was all I could do to stand my ground.

Finally he landed a blow to my head that left me dizzy and sent me flying with a kick. Rolling on the ground, I clumsily tired to get up. Gregory just paced towards me in slow, methodical steps, "I'm going to enjoy tearing the life from your throat, paladin."

"Don't count on in, mon," came a voice from behind. Gregory turned in time to see cone of freezing wind aimed right at him. His feet were planted to the stone in a sheet of ice as the crystals clung to his leather armor. Jamal had finally recovered.

"Treacherous mage," he muttered, pulling a rifle out from under his cloak. Before either of us could respond he fired a pot shot at the troll, striking Jamal in the shoulder. It was just a flesh wound but it interrupted his spell.

With my foe now stationary I took this chance to strike. Grabbing my hammer I filled it with the magic of a holy seal. Gregory saw me coming and braced himself, both feet still firmly planted in ice. I swung hard, crushing the Forsaken under my might. Gregory broke free of the ice and landed flat on his back, the bones in his arm jutting out more unnaturally than usual. I fell on top of him with both hands glowing, pressing them against his chest. He writhed under me as I charged my exorcism spell one more time.

"Damn you, paladin!" he cried, desperately trying to throw me off.

"Your sacrifice is for the good of others," I said, "You should feel honored!"

Gregory sneered as the exorcism began to burn away his rotten flesh, glancing at the elf's corpse, "I'm still one for one, human."

I raised my hands and blasted him once more, the Light burning away his sinister form. As I finished I stood to my feet, there was nothing left of Gregory save for a faintly glowing pile of ash and bones. Jamal, though wounded and sloppy, was still flinging spell after spell at the now thoroughly beleaguered dragon. Nikki's axe cut into it again and again, and with the help of a couple healing spells, was at long last able to mortally wound the beast. The half incorporeal creature shrieked and fell as her axe buried itself between its eyes.

Nikki pulled her weapon free, not even bothering to loot the corpse. Exhausted and broken, she trundled towards us. Jamal's gunshot wound wasn't bad, but even with his troll regeneration abilities it would need attention. Nikki looked like she'd been put through a meatgrinder. Her left arm was broken and dangling uselessly beside her, and it looked like her legs were messed up pretty badly too. I myself was cut, wounded, stabbed, and gashed from head to toe, though mostly in one piece. In spite of her terrible condition, the first thing Nikki did was approach Lysandra's body.

"Can you help her?" she asked through swollen lips.

I looked at the elf's body. Resurrection is something every paladin knows but rarely does. Comrades fallen on the field of battle can be brought back for a short time, so long as their spirit hasn't passed on. It was tremendously taxing though and I hadn't performed such a spell before, at least, not in many years. Still, I owed Lysandra this much.

"I can try," I told her, and stepped back. Invoking the Light's embrace, I felt the magic pour over me. My mana drained as the Light drank in all that I had, swelling in my hands like a shimmering blanket of white. I felt my life force strain as I steeled myself against the spell's effects. As time wore on Nikki looked worried. I'd been casting for almost a minute but it felt like an eon. At last the spell was prepared, or at least I thought it was. I cast it on the elf's body and her corpse became covered in a thin sheet of white.

Completely worn out, I fell to my knees, gasping for air. Some of Lysandra's wounds looked like they were healed. The gash in her neck shrunk but she wasn't moving. Jamal walked towards her body and ran one of his big fingers across her neck.

"Did it work?" Nikki asked.

Jamal waited, a serious look on his face, then felt under her nose. "Yes, she's breathin' but it's shallow. She needs tha doctah."

"I'll take her," she replied. Putting her axe and shield away, she hoisted the elf over her good shoulder with one arm. I grabbed my equipment and struggled to stand as Jamal lead us out of the hallway. As we passed the corpse of the ghostly dragon I spotted something glistening by its body. It was a large emerald with a black mist swirling inside. Figuring I might as well walk away with something from this expedition, I picked it up.

Suddenly I heard a desperate voice, "Help me, human! There is something wrong, my spirit has been corrupted!"

"Who said that?" I asked. Nikki and Jamal looked at me.

"Who said what?" Nikki asked.

"I heard a voice," I replied.

Jamal took the gem from my hand, "Ah, you found a spirit crystal, mon. Da green dragonflight's gonna be wantin' dis back."

"Huh, you hang on to it for now," I said. Personally I'd had my fill of dragons.

The three of us meandered our way out of the temple with little difficulty, relatively speaking. Any remaining wind serpents were dealt with by Jamal's magic, seeing as how he was the only one with any fight left in him, but they went down easy once separated from their pack. Stepping out into the cool, dense swamp air and into the caress of twilight, I'd never been so gracious to be alive. We might not have stopped whatever was inside but we all made it out alive. At least, I hope we all did. Jamal handed us our water-breathing elixirs and shoved one down Lysandra's throat, who was still unconscious. Together we trekked back to Stonard. 


	5. Chapter 5

Although the walk back was arduous it was also thankfully uneventful. When we approached the wooden palisades of the outpost the guards on duty, shocked to see their commander so badly beaten, rushed to our side. Even I was given a hand by a reluctant but nonetheless cooperative orc. We were taken to the infirmary of the barracks where the shaman and a Forsaken doctor were already waiting. Nikki slumped Lysandra's body down on a bed and collapsed onto the one beside it without a word. I took a seat myself, I wanted to make sure the Blood Elf was still breathing.

With care not to disturb the wounds anymore than he had to, the doctor pulled Lysandra's armor off and examined her. The shaman in the meantime helped remove what remained of Nikki's enormous plates. Although injured I was able to help myself out of my armor, my wounds weren't nearly as bad as theirs. Jamal meanwhile just stood out of the way, his troll regeneration taking care of the gunshot wound on its own. The doctor called the shaman over to the elf and moments later a healing wave enveloped her body. The wounds closed, at least partially, but she didn't look much better.

"These lacerations look poisoned," the Forsaken grumbled, "Antidote, please."

The shaman fired off a spell to cure the poison, but there was only so much his healing magic could do now. By this point hours had passed. "Is she going to be okay?" Nikki asked the doctor, nursing her broken arm.

"Her body needs to rest before it can accept any more healing. She's simply too weak right now," he replied. "I'll need to bandage her and ready some potions to keep her stable. Her blood loss was substantial, but I think she'll recover given enough time."

With this we both breathed a sigh of relief. I leaned back on the bed, only to have the doctor begin fidgeting with my wounded back. "OW!" I screamed as he poked his bony finger through my clothing.

"Don't make such a fuss," he said, "you've seen worse, I'm sure."

The shaman spent the last of his mana healing Nikki. She wasn't back to full strength but her arm was for the most part mended and the swelling in her face went down. As soon as she was healed she tried to stand, but the Forsaken pushed her back down.

"What do you think you're doing?" she grunted.

"What do you think YOU'RE doing?" the doctor replied, "Your arm was broken in two places, you have a concussion, and you can barely walk. You're staying put."

"Look, doctor, I'll be fine now. I need to-"

"You need to stay in bed, all of you," he said, glancing at me in case I got any ideas.

"I'm the commander of this outpost and I-"

The Forsaken raised his voice, "And I'm your doctor. And so long as you are my patient you will follow doctor's orders lest I have to tie you to the bed."

"Don't tempt her," I said.

"Quiet!" they both shouted in unison.

"What about me?" Jamal asked from the doorway.

The doctor removed his spectacles to look at the mage, "You can do whatever you want. Your arm should be fine in a couple of days."

"You have leave until I can write my report, Jamal," Nikki added.

Jamal nodded and left us in peace. The doctor discussed our care with the shaman as well as a night nurse outside the infirmary door, leaving us time to collect ourselves. Nikki and I exchanged weary looks, I didn't know what to say regarding anything that happened. It was all so fast. Gregory betraying us, the dragon, Lysandra almost dying, me finding my faith again. That last bit in particular threw me for a loop. I looked down at my hands. My mana was spent but I could still feel the Light with me. And yet, I felt like I always had. That feeling in the back of my head still causing me to doubt myself, that distrust of my own judgment. Yet I remembered what it meant to be a paladin again. Somehow I'd found my faith once more.

"Well," Nikki said after staring at me for a while, "looks like you're back to normal."

I furrowed my brows, "I dunno, I still haven't really come to terms with things, you know? Like, how do I know I'm making the right choices?"

"You don't, you just have to roll with it," she replied. Leaning back against her pillow, she stared at the ceiling, "I remember when I became an officer, the responsibility nearly killed me. I lost hours of sleep every night. People's lives were in my hands."

"So what changed?"

"I learned you just gotta cut it loose after a while, otherwise you go crazy." A cockeyed smile crossed her swollen lips, "Whatever happens, happens. You can only do the best with what you have."

"True enough," I said.

"What, don't tell me you're not some infallible wall of Light-swinging human arrogance anymore." she said, shooting me a look.

I smirked, "Infallible, no, but I've earned every pound of Light-swinging arrogance."

"Oh really?"

"Who saved you from getting clobbered by the dragon? Who brought Lysandra back from an early grave? Who-"

"Oh I'm sorry," she proclaimed, "If it wasn't for me holding that dragon back, single-handedly mind you, you wouldn't have had time to dick around with Gregory."

"And who ended up taking Gregory out, hmm? After he tried to kill all of us?"

She shook her head, "You wouldn't have taken anyone out if Lysandra didn't save your sorry ass. You owe her more than anyone."

"Yeah, okay. But I still cleaned that whole mess up. Took out Gregory, saved her, healed you, got us all back in one piece-"

"I carried that elf with a busted arm, don't you tell me who got us back here!"

I gave her a sly grin, "Technically Jamal got us out of there."

"You know what!?" Nikki threw her sheet off and started undoing her pants.

"Oh god."

"No," she said "you wanna see who's is bigger, grab a tape measure and come on!"

Letting out a hearty laugh I fell into my pillow. That's when I realized my body was stiffening up. It hurt to laugh, it hurt to move, it hurt to do just about anything but sleep. Fortunately, sleeping was just what the doctor ordered.

The next few days were more or less uneventful as we kicked back and recovered. Nikki and I were up and about the next day but Lysandra needed a while longer to rest. In the meantime we were debriefed, the reports were filed, and I collected my payment. There wasn't much gold to be had for what was supposed to be a recon mission but Nikki threw the armor I wore in to sweeten the deal. At least it was less junk for her to deal with, she figured. As time wore on though the orcs of Stonard became less accommodating. Having a human around for a little while was a curiosity, but for the better part of a week? That was insulting. Even though Nikki wanted me to stick around longer, I decided it was time to shove off.

The night before my departure I sat in Nikki's barrack, reacquainting myself with my librams. The dim light of the oil lamps shined on the muck-stained pages, I really needed to get new copies when I returned to Stormwind. A knock on the door pulled my attention from the tomes. It was too early for Nikki to be back, I thought to myself. Opening the door, I found Lysandra standing there.

"You're looking better," I said, letting her in.

"Thanks," she replied, "For not being alive, the doctor is quite skilled."

"Forsaken make the best doctors," I said, shutting the door behind her. "They know death better than anyone."

"I suppose so…" Lysandra kind of trailed off. We hadn't really had a chance to talk since the incident in the sunken temple. I was too busy staying under house arrest and she was too busy being put back together. "I wanted to thank you for saving my life," she said at last.

"You saved mine first, we're even," I replied immediately. Really, we all saved each other's asses in there in some way or another. There was no sense bothering with those pleasantries.

"Yeah, that's true." She looked around, "Is Nikki here?"

"Nah, she won't be back for a while," I said, putting my books away, "She's collecting reports from the scouts, they're always late."

Lysandra took a seat on the bed, "Is it true you knew Gregory was going to try to kill you before we even entered that wretched temple?"

"Haha, is that what you're concerned about!?"

Her face was cross, "I can't believe you didn't say anything!"

"Everyone knew Gregory wanted to put a dagger in my back for years, Lysandra. He's had it out for me since we first met." I shrugged, "No one knew he'd take it that far though."

Her face flush with anger, she yelled, "Death threats are nothing to laugh about, Jack! Especially from a Forsaken rogue!"

"It's a long story. Him trying to kill me was like Deathwing returning, just a whole lotta talk. Something changed though, obviously." I shook my head, "You ought to talk to Nikki about it if you're so upset, she's the one who contracted him in the first place."

"She's just as bullheaded as you," the elf spat.

I smiled wide, if only she knew the half of it. "Gregory was a damn fine rogue, and you can never trust rogues to begin with," I said. "The fact he openly marked me as his target meant everyone else could relax. In retrospect though, I guess he knew that. Maybe he was too good of a rogue."

Her long blonde eyebrows rose as she pressed her lips together and nodded, "I do not think I am cut out for this contract work."

"No? Well, I guess I'm kinda used to this thing," I admitted. Contracts were a pretty dirty business, not the kind of thing you see too many paladins associating with. Most of what I did in years past was either at the behest or interest of the Silver Hand, and I still met my fair share of shady characters. Huh, it felt weird thinking of myself as a paladin again.

"I know, you were a 'knight errant' after all." Lysandra crossed her legs and leaned on one arm, "And I'm glad to see you found your faith again."

I nodded in appreciation, "I owe you an apology. For everything I said earlier."

"You don't need to apologize, Jack," she said. "What we did to you… it was inexcusable."

Running my fingers through my hair, I leaned forward uncomfortably, "You didn't deserve that though, especially after trying to make it right. I spoke too harshly, I'm sorry."

"It's alright," she assured me.

Looking at my hands I felt a smile of relief cross my face. I glanced up at Lysandra, she was half sprawled across the bed in a lazy posture. After all the action in the temple, these recovery days were driving us all a little stir crazy. Jamal left for Orgrimmar a couple days prior, and Nikki had her job to keep her busy. For me and Lysandra though it was either bed rest or confinement to quarters. We were bored, alone, and stuck together in the middle of a swamp.

My expression fell into that sly dog look, "Are you sure?"

She leaned back on the mattress with both arms behind her head. Her form-fitting mageweave clothing pulled tight in all the right places, "Well, if you really want to make it up to me, I can think of something you can do."

"Something?" I said, getting up. "Or someone?" She called me over with those emerald bedroom eyes of hers. As I leaned over her body, she bit her lip in anticipation. I put my arm around her shoulders and took a seat next to her, pulling her into my kiss. My fingers traced along her neckline, stopping short of the faint scar Gregory left.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" I asked, rubbing it with my thumb.

"Just get over here," she said, yanking me on top of her.

I laughed, pressing my face against her neck. Drinking in the scent of her golden hair I licked and nibbled along her neck as she tugged my shirt off. I felt her fingers tracing my body, then she gently pushed me away.

"God, Jack, you've gotten thin," she said.

I looked down, "Yeah, living off the land will do that to you."

"Hmm, I miss the old Jack," she said, tracing my lean chest.

Pulling away I straddled her hips, sitting straight up, "If you don't like it I can pack up and leave right now."

"No," she said, giving my ass a firm grab, "you still have that cute butt."

With a chuckle I started untying my pants. Lysandra undid the hooks on the front of her shirt one at a time. With every brass hook freed from its eyelet, her cleavage pressed forward a little more. As she worked her way down she started arching her back for added effect, her perky nipples showing through the thin mageweave garment. She saved the last one for me, which I undid like a ribbon on a gift. The cloth rested just so, creating a perfect part down the front of her chest. I ran my hands underneath, gliding them slowly along the cloth to her perfect bosom. The silky fabric ran off my fingers and to her side as I leaned in to kiss them. My dick by now was firm and tight in my linen trousers. I pressed it against her thigh, teasing her with the anticipation.

At this point, a sharp knock was heard on the door. Before either of us could react, Nikki walked in, paperwork in hand. The three of us stared at each other as the paper gently fluttered out of her fingers and onto the boarskin rug.

"How dare you interrupt my interrogation!" I shouted.

"God damn it, Jack! Not on my bed!" she griped, marching towards us. I leaned back, still straddling Lysandra, who was trying to cover up with a blanket.

"You're welcome to join us if you like," I said mockingly.

"No!" Nikki and Lysandra both cried at the same time.

"No?" I repeated.

"No," Lysandra confirmed, shaking her head.

I looked at Nikki. Her face was a bouquet of emotion. From irritation, to enlightenment, to twisted pleasure. "Yes," she said.

"You can't be serious. Jack, let. Me. UP!" she said, struggling to get me off.

I shook my head, "I don't think so!"

"Commander Blacktusk, you cannot be serious!" she yelled in exasperation. Nikki was already stripping her armor off. I'd never seen her remove her gear so quickly, I guess that's what proper motivation can do. Lysandra laid back on the bed, arms crossed and scowling.

"Sorry, Sir Dawnsworn, but this is my barrack, my bed, and my rules," Nikki said, pulling the last of her plate off.

"But I'm not even attracted to women!" she cried.

Nikki turned towards the bed. "That's why Jack's here," she said plainly.

Frustrated, she closed her eyes and began rubbing her forehead, "By the Light, you two are letches."

I smiled, "Don't worry, we'll go easy on you, right Nikki?"

Nikki started stripping her clothing, lacking the flourish Lysandra had, "Huh? Oh, yeah, sure."

"See?"

Lysandra let out a sigh as the orc climbed onto the bed. I rolled off her as Nikki took my place, straddling the elf's hips and yanking her pants down. I removed my own, watching the spectacle of a disgusted elf trying not to look at the sizable orcish breasts swinging just over her thoroughly wet snatch. Nikki licked her pussy clean, her tusks digging in a little here and there, making Lysandra squirm in a weird, confusing pleasure.

"Please, don't! What are you… oh, LIIIIGHT!" she yelped. Nikki's tongue was doing some cave exploring, I could tell this was a treat for her. She hooked the elf's legs over her arms and started pulling her hips off the bed. I in the meantime was absently stroking myself off to a spectacle I'd probably never see again in my life.

As Lysandra's body became more and more vertical, Nikki sat up and wrapped her leg around the elf. Once she found a cozy spot for her pussy, she started scissoring her. Slowly at first, almost gently, but building speed. The elf grabbed at the bedsheets as orcish grunts accompanied every stroke, making it seem more intense than it probably was. With an elven leg by her face, Nikki grabbed it for support. She licked Lysandra's toes, making them curl and causing her to whine in pleasure and frustration.

"God damn it!" Lysandra said through panting breaths.

"Jack, what are you doing?" Nikki asked, glancing my way.

I smiled at her, "Watching the show."

"Get over here," she demanded. I shuffled over and she wrapped her lips around my cock. Her head bobbing in time with her grinding, I ran my fingers through her mohawk. The bed was clunking against the wall from the motion, stopped only when Lysandra desperately held on to one of the bedposts for support. I was too distracted by Lysandra's display to pay much attention to my own blowjob, but I did love playing with Nikki's hair. She seemed to like it too, because the more I did it the more thorough she got. Licking my shaft, sucking on my balls, cradling my sac between her little tusks while she licked, she knew her way around a man's hardware.

Eventually though she pulled up, untwisting herself from Lysandra's body. "I'm tired of doing all the work here. Your turn, Dawnsworn!" Lysandra took a moment to collect herself before shaking her head. Nikki grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her into her lap. Lysandra's face landed right in line with Nikki's wet and flush pussy. "Get to work, girl!" she commanded, "Jack, you've got the rear.

With a mock salute I scooted behind Lysandra. Her elven ass was perched in the air like it was on display. I heard muffled groans along with sucking sounds as Nikki held her head to her crotch "Yeah, that's a good girl," she said, "Get going, Jack, I need something male to watch too!"

Taking Lysandra's hips in my hand, I eased my cock into her soft, pink vagina. It was as tight as I remembered, and it took a bit for me to get situated, but once I found my rhythm it all came together. Nikki threw her head back in pleasure as my bucking forced Lysandra's face into her pussy. I leaned into my work, rubbing the outside of the elf's pussy with one hand while groping her magnificent ass with the other. Lysandra's moaning grew louder and more intense with every thrust now, and soon, Nikki began to join in the chorus. Bringing her thighs up, she cradled the elf's face in her womanhood, tugging her blonde hair and her own nipple at the same time.

Then I felt it; the rhythmic press against my shaft, the warm juices rushing out of Lysandra's pussy and soaking my balls, her entire body quivering beneath me. Her voice jumped an entire octave, wavering and cracking as her moan turned into a whimper. A desperate, passionate cry of ecstasy. She pulled her head up and, not sure what to do with herself, pressed her face against Nikki's abs. Her arms held the orc's legs for dear life, clawing her thighs, as her breasts were pressed against Nikki's dark green vag.

I came next, my body shaking with the intensity of it all. I grabbed a handful of Lysandra's hair and tugged it like a rein. Not too hard, but enough she whipped her head back with a high-pitched squeak. At the same time I pulled my dick out, shooting hot, thick ropes of semen all across Lysandra's back. Rocking my shaft back and forth against her ass I coaxed the last drops out, thoroughly spent.

Nikki was furiously rubbing her pussy to all this. While watching the display that was my semen coating the sniveling elf, she was pushed over the edge. The orc leaned back and howled, one of her legs shooting straight out, rigid in the air. Her toes curled as her body throbbed with her own orgasm. Lysandra collapsed on the bed, exhausted and bewildered. I lay on my side next to her as Nikki stared at the ceiling, panting and sweaty. She rolled her head over to look at Lysandra, "That wasn't so bad now, was it?"

The elf looked at her incredulously, "I… It feels so wrong."

"It's alright to like it," she replied, pulling the elf closer, "I mean, Jack liked it."

I nodded in agreement, "It's just like that time in Silvermoon with the initiate, except less awkward." I pulled a rag off the floor and dabbed it against Lysandra's back. "Hang on, you've got a little something on you."

She didn't say anything else, instead trying to straighten her hair. Hot, sweaty, and in dire need of something to drink, I slid off the bed and excused myself.

"Where are you going!?" Lysandra demanded.

"To get some water," I replied, "and to take a bath."

As I tied my pants and threw on my shirt, she started getting up too.

"Oh no you don't!" Nikki said, pulling her back to the bed.

"What!? No, not again! Jack!"

"I'll be back," I said, walking out the door.

"JACK!"

As I sipped a cup of water and filled the wash tub, I heard muffled groans and thumps on the other side of the barracks wall. Nikki sure didn't waste any time. I was in no rush to get out of the tub with such entertainment going on, and started toweling off only when it sounded like things had settled down. I walked back in, clean and cooled off, to find Nikki and Lysandra passed out in each other's arms. Well, for the most part. One of the elf's arms was still strapped to the bedpost. I untied her and crawled under the covers myself.

The next morning I awoke in an orc-elf sandwich. Taking a few blissful minutes to enjoy my position, my companions slowly started to rouse themselves. Nikki and I looked at each other with amused satisfaction, while Lysandra looked slightly mortified. Sore, groggy, and bow-legged, both girls pulled themselves out of bed and started getting dressed. I sat on the edge of the bed as Nikki ordered breakfast be brought in and Lysandra tried to get the knots out of her hair. Minutes later our breakfasts of egg, sausage, ham, biscuits, gravy, cream-chipped beef, toast, and ale arrived.

"You're leaving today?" Nikki asked me as we wolfed down our food.

"Yeah," I said, "It's a shame though, I'm gonna miss the cooking here."

Nikki smirked, "They don't feed you enough in the human kingdoms! Come do more work for the Horde so you can get some of that muscle back." She nudged Lysandra, "You know what I'm talking about!"

"Yeah…" she admitted reluctantly.

"Good to know you two only care about my looks," I teased.

"What, you think we keep you around for your personality?" Nikki replied.

I chuckled and took another bite. I really did have to leave, the Order of the Silver Hand probably gave me up for dead, and I had a lot of catching up to do at the Blue Recluse. Plus, I needed to be back with my own people again, in a place I could walk around without worrying about being attacked by an over-zealous orc. As breakfast was finished and my things were assembled, I said my goodbyes to the two of them.

"I hope we run into each other again," I said to Lysandra. "This time with no bad blood."

She snubbed me in a stereotypical elven display of superiority.

"Oh come on!"

A half-smile crossed her face, eyes narrowed, "Okay, Jack. But next time you're not getting off so easily."

"Oh I dunno about that, I'd say he worked pretty hard for it last night!" Nikki chimed in, grinning ear to ear.

Lysandra buried her face in her hands, not so much out of personal embarrassment as the embarrassment of associating with Nikki. Clapping me on the shoulder, the orc looked me in the eye, "I wish you luck, Jack, you've come a long way.

I nodded in appreciation, "Thanks, Nikki. For everything, I mean it."

"I know you do," she said. "And you know where you can find me. Now go, get back to your own people."

Hoisting the small bag that contained my only possessions over my pauldron, I hugged her tight, then started out the gate.

"Goodbye, Radical!" she shouted. Then she turned to Lysandra, "Now, how about you and I go three for three?"

A flash of light reflected off the trees surrounding Stonard. I looked back to see Nikki being helped to her feet by a pair of guards, her green skin glowing and steaming with the Light, and Lysandra strutting away. 


End file.
